Bitter Cold
by battousaichick
Summary: [KxK] mistaken idenity gone terribly wrong maybe even deadly...now they're on the run with no end in sight, how long can this last? chapter 20 is now up!
1. chapter 1

**UPDATED: 4/4/05: **_I changes a few things in this chapter so that later chapters would flow better_

A/N: Sorry all of my 'oh brother' fan's for the delay, but I have two chapters on their way and almost ready for you but until then I have another story to start, I hope you guys like this one too.

Disclaimer: Honestly if I owned RK would I be writing this? (Ok I probably would but that's beside the point.) I don't own it or any money so please don't sue.

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The land was cold and bitter, frozen with the harsh weather of winter, a figure fighting its way through the now furious snow. Blood dribbled slowly from an open wound; it had been so long since they had been home, before the chaos, before this. The figure stumbled and as they lay in the snow a memory flashed in its mind.

**FLASHBACK**

Morning silently crept up on the Kamiya Dojo. The young adjutant master was still slumbering peacefully as a red haired rurouni watched her sleep. "I need nothing more in this life," he whispered contently to himself as he walked off to prepare breakfast.

Kaoru mumbled something incoherently and snapped her eyes open. 'I thought I saw Kenshin watching over me...' she pondered still trying to wake the rest of her body up. 'Probably just a dream...' She finally pulled herself out of bed and wandered into the kitchen where she found Kenshin cooking.

Now, normally she wouldn't be surprised to see him, but today was a different story. "What are you doing here?" She asked her hands positioned on her hips. "I thought your train left this morning?"

Kenshin gave her his rurouni smile, and shrugged. "No, the train won't leave until tonight, that it won't."

"Tonight, really?" she smiled idly. "Well I hope your friend will be well soon."

It was true, Kenshin was going to Hokkaido. He had been summoned by an ill friend, one that he had made during his years of wandering. Kenshin knew that there was something more to this trip than he let on. The less Kaoru knew about it the better it would be for everyone.

**END FLASHBACK**

It had seemed like had been a long time since that day, the figure lay in the snow and tried to pick themselves up. 'I have to keep going, I have to get back...' with all the strength they could muster, they stood up and started again to fight blindly through the snow. 'Will I ever see your face again?' Tears started to brim in their eyes. 'I can't think of that now.' They fought their way through the blinding storm. "I...won't...give in," the figure muttered through jagged breaths. The figure stumbled once again but this time they stumbled onto a door. 'A farm house? I don't want to cause them any harm but what am I to do?' With the remaining little bit of strength the figure had knocked on the door once. The figure leaned against the door exhausted and overly weary unable to do the seemingly difficult task a second time.

The door slowly creaked open and the figure fell forward almost automatically, and whispered "Please... help me..." And closed its eyes.

"Oh my!" said a young looking woman as she opened her door, never expecting to find something like this. "Shuichi! Come quickly!" She yelled, turning the figure over.

"What is it Yuki?" Said the middle aged looking man, then noticed the figure lying on the ground, "Are they...?"

"No, not yet but we need to do something quick!" She said feeling wary of the situation.

Suddenly from behind Shuichi, his good friend Himura Kenshin stepped out of a room; he could sense all of the commotion. He looked down at the figure on the ground, finding what he would never expect. "Miss Kaoru!"

To be continued...

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A/N: What do you guys think? Sorry if it seems a bit rough, I don't have a second set of eyes looking at this so I may not see every mistake.

Just kidding! I wouldn't do that... Or would I?

Battosaichick: See ya!


	2. chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for reviewing!!! Now let's get on with the story! And I promise the chapters won't be as short as the last one ;  
  
Disclaimer: You know the routine: don't own, don't sue.  
  
I forgot to add this last time: Rated PG-13 for violence, mild language, and possible sexual suggestions.  
  
Kenshin's whole body went numb when he found what he would never expect. "Miss Kaoru!" Fear and anger filled his heart and flecks of amber started to fill his eyes. 'Who could have...?'  
  
"Mr. Himura, please we need to treat this girl." Yuki said imploringly.  
  
His voice was dark. "Miss Yuki, would you please get some clean dry cloth, Shuichi boil some water." Kenshin looked at the two surprised expressions. "Please we must hurry we don't have much time." And with that they went to work and Kenshin picked up Kaoru's limp body and carried her to his room and lay her on his futon.  
  
Kaoru was cold to the touch, "What happened to you?" he whispered under his breath as he looked at her wounds. Kaoru had been shot by a western rifle, but luckily for her it was nothing life threatening. It had been a clean blow that hit her right shoulder not hitting a single vital organ. She had broken ribs and it seemed that at least three bullets grazed her skin. 'What happened while I was away, and what brought you all the way out here?'  
  
"Mr. Himura here is the cloths..." Yuki handed them to Kenshin who had immediately started to treat her wounds.  
  
"You know her don't you Himura?" Shuichi said as he sat down next to Kenshin. By now Kenshin had done all that he could for Kaoru, the rest was up to her.  
  
Kenshin only nodded. "She-she is the one I told you about, the one back at my home." He faltered looking down at her helplessly.  
  
"Himura... I-I'm sorry I hope-" He started sincerely but Kenshin interrupted.  
  
"No don't worry, she is strong," he looked down at her delicate slumbering face. "I only ask that you please allow her to stay here as well."  
  
"Of course, you didn't have to ask."  
  
"Thank you." Kenshin closed his eyes signaling that he did not want to speak anymore at the moment. Shuichi got up and left the room letting Kenshin sit alone. "Please forgive me, I was not there to protect you..." he whispered to her as he brushed a stray hair from her face.  
  
It had been three days now and Kaoru still showed no sign of waking.  
  
She lay there looking so weak and helpless. 'Miss Kaoru what happened to you?' Kenshin thought he could only fathom what had happened to her. Speckles of amber still flickering in his eyes again as the Battousai within threatened to come out. What had threatened his happiness? What reason was there for this to occur, and why to his Kaoru?  
  
"Kenshin-" she mumbled breaking his concentration.  
  
Kenshin looked down thinking she was starting to wake up, but he noticed that she had been only talking in her sleep. He smiled a little taking this as a sign that she would be ok.  
  
"Kenshin" she mumbled again. ""Forgive me I had no choice-" she trailed off and he couldn't understand her rambling anymore. 'What dreams haunt you?' Kenshin wondered as he listened to her sleep.  
  
"Mr. Himura, I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering-" Yuki had poked her head into the room. "You see Shuichi is feeling ill again and can not get out of bed... And well I am not one to go into town, especially in the winter. And umm we are running low on food-" Yuki stammered as she looked at the red haired rurouni.  
  
"I will go into town, I do not mind. Besides I need to get some fresh air I think if I stay indoors any longer like this I think I might break." Kenshin smiled at her relieved face.  
  
Yuki gave him a meek smile "Thank you; here is a list and some money, it should be enough. I will watch over her." She motioned to Kaoru.  
  
"I will be back soon" Kenshin smiled. He stood up and walked out of the little farm house.  
  
By now the storm that had hit, died and left behind two feet of fresh snow. The ground was pure white, and the farm house seemed almost asleep hibernating as it was nestled by a small grove of trees. And beyond that a disturbance seemed to arise as a small troop of what looked like federal officers made there way through the snow.  
  
Inside the small farm house the slumbering Kaoru started to wake. She snapped open her eyes to see that she was in a small room. She sat up slowly to examine the place better. A small twinge of pain shot through her body to let her know that she still had injuries. 'I had hoped this had all been a bad dream,' she sighed to herself. She looked around the room trying to figure out where she was, and noticed that the room had a certain way about it. 'It's set up almost like Kenshin's room back home.' She thought, 'Impossible what would he be doing here?'  
  
Kaoru thought she was strong enough to stand up, she was almost mistaken but she supported herself lightly against a drawer and then she noticed something... 'I have no clothes...' It wasn't totally true, Kaoru was standing there with nothing but a thin yakuta (A/N: if I am spelling this or using it wrong please correct me .) that was way too large for her small frame. Kaoru dug through the drawer that she had been supporting herself on and pulled out a hakama the gi was magenta in color. 'If I didn't know any better...' But she shut the possibility out of her mind; Kenshin couldn't have been there it's just impossible.  
  
"Forgive me whoever you are." She said as she slipped on the strangers clothing and pulled it tight. 'At least this fits better...'  
  
"I have to get out of here before I cause these people any grief." She whispered. Kaoru looked around and found a scrap of paper and scribbled down a note quickly.  
  
-Thank you, I wish I could have known you better for you have saved my life. But someday I promise I will return to repay you for your hospitality, until then I must take my leave I do not want to cause you and yours any harm and me staying here now will surely bring that upon you.  
  
Sincerely thank you;  
  
–A friend. -  
  
Kaoru thought that the letter would suffice. She was about to exit when she heard a heavy knocking at the door of the gate. She peered through a small slit in the shoji and watched as a dumpy middle aged woman made her way to the door.  
  
"Can I help you?" She asked to the figures at the door.  
  
"Yes ma'am we are looking for someone who is on the run from the law, it is a woman about five feet tall and has raven colored hair and dark blue eyes."  
  
"I have seen no one like this" she said coldly, but everyone present could tell that was a lie.  
  
"Then you won't mind if we take a look in your home." One of the men said simply.  
  
"I do mind." She said sternly, "My husband is ill, and I do not need him worried by some woman we have never even seen."  
  
Kaoru did not like the way this was going, (though she was grateful for the woman's caring) and as quietly as she could she snuck out of the window in the room and rounded behind the soldiers listening to what they said to the woman.  
  
"You will let us in or we will force you to." One of the officers said brandishing his nightstick. (A/N: is that what they are called?)  
  
"Over my dead body!" Yuki said starting to become frustrated.  
  
"That can be arranged." One of the men said sternly, and made an advance to grab her when Kaoru decided she had to do something.  
  
"Hey stupid looking for me?!" She yelled now standing behind them sticking out her tongue  
  
"It's her! Get her now!" The man (who seemed to be the head of the group) commanded.  
  
Kaoru took this opportunity to run, it was either that or be caught, and she would run forever if she could prevent that. Even though she was feeling considerable pain from every wound she had, she still ran; it was run or be killed and she chose to run. What ever pain she felt she could deal with later as long as she lived to see it. Kaoru rounded the Farm house before dashing for the trees. She ran down the trail that carved its way through the forest and to the river bank beyond that.  
  
Kaoru had enough of a head start that the officers that where after her were out of eyesight for the moment and she took that opportunity to climb a tree and go deep into the grove. She wasn't about to leave foot prints of where she went so she tree hopped as she went into the grove... She had no destination now; she was forced to wander. Time passed and the sun started to set. She decided it was safe enough to climb down from the trees, to bad for her that she was running short on luck she stepped on a rotten branch and it snapped under her weight making her fall a few feet to the soft snow below. She was breathing hard her bruised ribs where in excruciating pain from the impact. Kaoru lied on the ground trying to find herself before she stood up once again and trudged on.  
  
Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she forced her way through the deep snow and trees that seemed to be getting closer and closer together. 'I'm surprised that they haven't caught up with me yet.' Just as she was thinking this something grabbed her from behind a hand slipped over her face muffling her screams. The figure held her tightly in front of them as to hide their identity.  
  
Warm breath bathed her ear as they whispered "Stay silent, do you want them to hear you?"  
  
Tears filled her eyes as fear bubbled in her heart, 'No, no, no let me go, please let me go!' her mind screamed silently as she was held captive in the darkness...  
  
To be continued...  
  
A/N: a little suspence in this one. I hope you guys liked it. Well until next time.  
  
Battosaichick: waves See ya! 


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
A/N: hey thanks for reviewing you guys! Now if I don't update quickly enough I apologize now; you know how exams can be, anyway on with the story.

She wanted to scream but fear held her back. She closed her eyes tightly as she heard the footfalls of the officers scouring through the trees and as she felt the body of the person holding her to them. 'Oh please, oh please, oh please,' the sound of the men searching through the forest disappeared.  
  
The figure that had a hold of her noticed this too and it leaned down to her ear and whispered to her, "I am going to let you go but do not scream if you do they will only hear you, and will be back here."  
  
Kaoru nodded, like she was going to scream.  
  
The figure let her go and she turned around quickly as a defensive reaction, but it was her surprise to who she came face to face with "Kenshin..."  
  
"You look good in magenta," He said with his rurouni smile.  
  
Tears brimmed in her azure eyes. "You idiot, don't scare me like that!" She hit him on the head before saying, "I thought I would never see you again..." She threw her arms around his neck almost forgetting what was going on around her at the moment. "You have to get away from me before they find out..." She whispered.  
  
"Kaoru what happened?" Kenshin pulled her away to look at her weary eyes.  
  
"Now is not the time or the place. I have to go..." Kaoru started to walk away from him but she felt a hand in close around her wrist.  
  
"I won't let you go alone, I don't know what happened, but it won't help if you runaway-" but she interrupted him.  
  
"So you condemn me to death as well!?" She said harshly as she wrenched her hand from his grasp. "I'm sorry Kenshin, you don't know. You just don't-" she stopped and her eye's widened as the sound of the officers walking through the forest. "I have to go." She whispered inaudibly as she backed away from Kenshin.  
  
She was running again, she didn't even look back to see what happened to Kenshin; it killed her to run from him like that. He deserved an explanation, one that she prayed that one day she could give to him.  
  
The trees started to thin and ahead she could see the light of the moon shine on the pure white snow that had blanketed the ground. Kaoru looked around to decide where to run when she noticed that she had ran straight towards a cliff and there was nothing below but the lake that a waterfall was flowing to.  
  
"She went this way, quickly we can catch up!" shouted a voice from the trees.  
  
Kaoru's heart pounded, 'Was this the end?' she wondered 'Had she come this far, to only end it all here.' Kaoru closed her eyes and prayed it would end soon.  
  
It was then that she decided that if she was to die there she wouldn't die at their hands. Kaoru jumped for the frigid water below. She hit the water and floated down in the water she noticed how heavy her body was, and how much the frozen water stabbed like knives at her wounds. Her body went rigid with pain and she couldn't move and she looked up as she hit the floor of the lake. 'At least I will not die for what I did not do,' she thought closing her eyes.  
  
Kaoru could feel herself floating upward as the air began to deplete within her body. 'I can finally rest,' she sighed inwardly. But for some reason she had the urge to open her eyes, when she did she noticed yet again Kenshin was there to save her. They broke the water and Kaoru inhaled greeting the frozen air with a mixture of thankfulness and anguish, she wanted to die there but if she could live longer and maybe have a small chance of redemption maybe she could greet that as well. She grabbed onto Kenshin's gi and whimpered out of spite of herself.  
  
"Why?" she whispered.  
  
Kenshin swam on under the waterfall to what seemed to be a cave behind it. "Are you all right Miss Kaoru?"  
  
She just nodded and huddled in silence as she watched him start a fire.  
  
"They won't find you here," Kenshin was full of questions but he held them all back.  
  
"I'm sorry Kenshin," Kaoru said pulling her knees closer to her chest to keep her warm.  
  
"For what?" Kenshin looked up from what he was doing.  
  
"Running,"  
  
Kenshin didn't answer. He just kept stoking the fire.  
  
"Kenshin where are we?" Kaoru changed the subject as she looked around noticing that this little cave seemed to have more than just rocks in it; it had food and many other supplies.  
  
"My friend Shuichi, this is his supply hold. I was coming back from here when I saw you run for the grove." Kenshin stood up and walked off behind some crates. When he came back he had a dry kimono and handed it to her; "here, I think this will fit you, wearing wet clothes in the winter isn't the smartest thing."  
  
Kaoru looked at him for a moment, "and what about you?"  
  
"don't worry about that, I am going to go back to the farm and say my goodbyes, no one will find you here so you can rest and change I will be back soon."  
  
"You are going with me?"  
  
"I don't know what has happened Kaoru, but I promised to protect you, and this I will do." Kenshin left leaving Kaoru with the kimono. She slid out of the wet clothing she had and slipped on the surprisingly warm kimono.  
  
Kaoru sighed and sat down against the wall of the cave and let all that had happened flow over her. 'Should I tell him?' She mulled the thought over and over in her mind.  
  
Kenshin came back after talking to his friend, and explaining to them what had happened and apologized for leaving so suddenly. When he entered the cave Kaoru noticed that he carried with him a package.  
  
"What's that?" Kaoru looked at the package suspiciously  
  
"Yuki made me bring some fresh bandages and food for you." Kenshin smiled at her. "I think that we should change that bandage on your arm." He pointed at her arm which was now bleeding through the kimono. Kaoru blushed, and allowed Kenshin to help her and clean the wound for her.  
  
For some reason as Kenshin bandaged the wound he found that he couldn't hold it in any longer, "Kaoru what happened to you?"  
  
Kaoru looked down; images of the past month flooded her mind. "It wasn't long after you left..."  
  
To Be Continued...A/N: don't be mad it's just because the next part would be way to long to be a part of this chapter, (if you can't tell I don't like long chapters 10 pages is my max!) I will be nice and load the next chapter the same day as this one so I don't get smacked around by some people (you know who you are =P) well until the next chapter waves 


	4. chapter 4

Disclaimer: don't own don't sue!  
  
A/N: here we go another chapter hope you guys enjoy!  
  
"It wasn't long after you left" She felt tears sting her eyes.  
  
FLASHBACK1  
  
"Yahiko if you want to get any better you need to open your hips more other wise you are leaving yourself open on the right side!" It was another practice between Kaoru and Yahiko. Kenshin had been gone for only two days and already Kaoru was about to kill Yahiko.  
  
"Sure busu" Yahiko said under his breath.  
  
Kaoru bubbled with anger, "What did you just say Little Yahiko?"  
  
"Don't call me little!"  
  
"Then stop acting little!"  
  
Yet another argument between master and pupil, they were in such a heated debate neither person had heard the sound of the gate open behind them or the men who entered through it.  
  
"Ahem," one of the men said as they tapped their foot waiting for a response.  
  
Kaoru turned around to face four officers who were all standing and watching her and Yahiko's scuffle. "Can I help you?" She said as she gained some composure.  
  
"We are looking for Kamiya Kaoru," He said eyeing her.  
  
"What do you want with me?" she said incredulously, she didn't like the way he sounded.  
  
"You are under arrest for crimes against the government..." the man said starting to read her, her rights.  
  
"What?" Kaoru was in shock, "What crimes? Against who's government?"  
  
The officer glowered at her, "You know what crimes you insolent woman!" He raised a hand to her.  
  
Kaoru knew she couldn't fight off these men, she turned to Yahiko, "Yahiko, stay here, protect the dojo and when Kenshin returns tell him what has happened." She looked at him with sincerity as the officers shackled her.  
  
Yahiko nodded, he felt a little afraid what would he do now? He only prayed that Kenshin would come soon and he would help them.  
  
The officer looked down at Yahiko, "Be lucky child I should arrest you too for adding and abetting a criminal such as her."  
  
Yahiko's blood boiled he couldn't handle it anymore. He knew this was wrong; he just had to say it. "Kaoru maybe stupid sometimes and she may be hot headed but she would never commit a crime who-"  
  
"Yahiko!" Kaoru said to him sternly "You are not helping yourself. Wait here for Kenshin and nothing else do you hear me?" Kaoru's face didn't show it, but Yahiko knew that she was afraid.  
  
Yahiko nodded and looked away as she was lead out of the dojo. He was mad to say the least, to see his Sensei who was more like a mother to him than he would like to admit, was being shackled and lead away like some animal. He clenched his fists, 'Kenshin come home soon.'  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
Kaoru looked at Kenshin to see what kind of reaction he had on his face but he just sat up against the rock across from Kaoru with his eyes closed and his sakabatou leaned up against his right shoulder. 'At least he's listening.' She thought. The truth was Kenshin kept his eye's closed so that he wouldn't reveal the amber glint they held.  
  
There was a long silence as Kaoru thought about what had happened next, before she spoke to him again.  
  
FLASHBACK2  
  
Kaoru sat in a cold jail cell she had not been told why she was being held captive by the police, all that she knew was that they took her out of Tokyo and traveled north all the way north to Hokkaido 'but why Hokkaido?' she wondered to her self many times. It had taken them a while but thanks to the train it hadn't taken them nearly as long as if they were on foot. (A/N: I don't know how long it really would have taken them to get there seeing how it is on a completely different Island, so let's just say it took a week.)  
  
Tears froze to her skin as she sat contemplating over the fact that she was going to be tried in a few days for whatever crimes she was accused of committing.  
  
"Ahh so there she is..." came a cold voice from a dark corner of another jail cell.  
  
"Excuse me?" Kaoru said knowing they were the only two people in that section of the prison.  
  
"So how many?"  
  
"How many what?" Kaoru asked.  
  
The voice laughed, "What do you mean how many? How many did you kill?"  
  
"Kill? You mean government officials?" Kaoru tried to play along to get as much information out of this person.  
  
They came out of the shadows revealing that the person was a woman who seemed to be not much older than Megumi. "I heard that you killed four of them, they say that the heads are having a big to do about it because they don't want other countries to find out that some girl is killing off all of their officials."  
  
Kaoru sat there letting what the woman said soak in. She gulped even though her mouth was dry. "So what are my chances?"  
  
"Of breaking out?" The woman said looking at her face, "Well I would say-"  
  
"No, of being found innocent?" Kaoru knew she couldn't break out of here that was easy to tell; she waited and searched the woman's eyes to see if she would tell her the truth or not.  
  
"You didn't kill them did you?" The woman said hearing the fear in Kaoru's voice. She bowed her head and answered Kaoru reluctantly, "The chances are slim to none, no woman has ever been found innocent here, no matter how outrageous the accusation. You might as well start to dig your grave now."  
  
Kaoru didn't like the sound of that. She felt a shiver go down her spine as she heard the creaking of a door in the background and the sound of foot falls on the ground. A tall dark looking man looked down at her.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't the Battousai's woman," said a sharp, gruff voice. "I never thought you would be the one behind these bars."  
  
Kaoru looked up and glared. "Saitou, I could smell your cigarette; what do you want? I know you wouldn't be here to help me. Making Kenshin miserable is what you strive for, and heavens forbid that you help me, because that would make him grateful to you."  
  
Saitou smirked, "Yes it would, I can't help you even if I wanted," he laughed getting a little joy of seeing the Battousai's woman behind bars. "But I do have some advice for you. When they set you up for execution, which they will, you will be facing a very jagged cliff with all sorts of things one could hold on to or hide in. If one wasn't bound up which they usually aren't they could make a jump for the cliff and have a slight possibility of living." Saitou turned on his heel to walk out.  
  
"Why?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"If you die the Battousai will become broken once again, and there is no use fighting a broken man." Saitou stomped out his cigarette and left.  
  
'What a strange man,' Kaoru thought.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
It was weird Kaoru thought the only reason he helped was just so he could fight Kenshin, she didn't know weather to thank him or hit him. Kaoru looked at Kenshin again and decided to get on with telling him, she would leave her little meeting with Saitou out for now. "I was tried in Hokkaido, and found guilty for the deaths of four government officials," Kaoru looked into the flames of the fire. "But not before..." she trailed off "Not before they interrogated me." Kenshin's eyes snapped open a cold amber blazed in them. He knew all to well what kind of 'interrogation' she had went through, in jails like the one she was in, they tortured the person until they admitted to a crime whether or not they committed it in first place.  
  
FLASHBACK3  
  
Kaoru was brought out of her jail cell for the first taste of sunlight she had in a while. It had been three weeks since they had brought her to the prison and two weeks of torture as they 'interrogated' her. The officers shackled her and six of them lead her out and through the town. Kaoru kept her head down and went along quietly.  
  
They arrived in what seemed to be a type of court house. Kaoru sat there in her little box that she had been confined to, and listened to the trial as it proceeded. She couldn't believe her ears last time she checked she hadn't killed anyone let alone government officials in Kyoto!  
  
Kaoru looked around and noticed out of the corner of her eye stood a tall shady figure. 'Saitou?' she thought, 'What are you doing here?' she felt the hatred bubble in her 'Stupid wolf!'  
  
Before Kaoru knew it the trial was over and she was found guilty on all charges, "What do you mean guilty!?" she shouted she couldn't contain herself anymore, "You didn't even let me speak! How could you find me guilty with nothing to back it up!"  
  
The judge looked at her outburst and smirked, "How could you find yourself innocent with nothing to back it up? Woman, you are guilty of your crime you will hereby be executed at this time next week. Court adjourned!"  
  
Kaoru stood in shock as she was escorted back to her cold lonely jail  
cell, where she stayed until the day she was destined to die.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
"Kaoru-"  
  
Kaoru shook her head, "No please don't, Let me continue I barely escaped the execution, I was just lucky that I made it off the cliff."  
  
Kenshin gave her a confused look, 'what was she talking about?'  
  
"When they sentence you to execution they take you outside of the prison for your 'last bit of fresh air' before they set you in front of a cliff and aim a firing squad of about four to five men at you and you have the choice of jumping off the cliff or being shot. It's a game to them even if you try to jump they still shoot at you and that-"  
  
"That is what happened to you." Kenshin finished his eye's still a cold amber color as a rage burned inside of him.  
  
Kaoru nodded, "I was lucky, when I jumped I was able to grasp onto a part of the rock face and was able to pretty much prevent myself from dying." Well she wasn't as lucky as Kenshin might of thought, all she did was do what Saitou had advised her to do. "When I finally got off the cliff I ran, I knew that they would come down the cliff to retrieve my body. It was only a matter of time before they found out I was a little less than dead. I don't know how long my legs carried me, it's all kind of dark, and all I remember was the storm and then running into a farm and falling and never hitting the ground..."  
  
Kaoru still hid something, and she wasn't going to tell Kenshin or anyone, she was too ashamed. She looked at him with her glossy Sapphire eyes.  
  
"Why don't you get some rest?" Kenshin asked out of concern seeing the weary look on her face. He knew she hadn't told him the whole story but he wasn't going to press her for answers.  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "I can't"  
  
"It's not a good idea-"  
  
Kaoru shot him an angered look, "You, Kenshin Himura are not my father and have no right to tell me what to do!" no matter how much he protested he could tell he was not going to win this one.  
  
Both stared off to the wall opposite of them not saying another word the rest of the night, welcoming the silence that bathed over them. Morning came, Kenshin stood up and peaked out of the waterfall. The sun shone warming the day up a enough to make the snow start to wane, it was getting close to the end of winter and the days were starting to reach nearly bearable temperatures. (A/N: When I said bearable temperatures I think I meant like 30 degrees above zero )  
  
"No sign of them, we should go now."  
  
"You're still going to come with me?"  
  
"I said I would protect you," Kenshin said sternly. "Though I don't think running like this is much of a good idea we do need to find out what happened, and who really is behind this."  
  
Kaoru looked at the ground with guilt in her face.  
  
Kenshin grasped her face in his hands, "It could never be you..."  
  
"How are you so sure?"  
  
"Because I know you." His eyes were so full of passion and truth that Kaoru could not deny what he was saying.  
  
They walked out of the cave behind the waterfall for what would be the last time and started to make there journey for the one place that they would find their answers the place where all of this started, Kyoto.  
  
To be continued...  
  
A/N: So what did you think? It's not as good as it could be, but I have a deal with my family not to write R rated stories so I have toned down this one A LOT! So if it sounds a bit choppy I'm sorry but please R&R anyway   
  
Yahiko: Yeah review her story because she doesn't have anything better to do than write it!  
  
Battosaichick: Watch your mouth Yahiko-Chan other wise my bokken will find a new home in your skull!  
  
Kenshin: Now now no need to get violent.  
  
BC: shut up you stupid rurouni!  
  
Kenshin: Oro?  
  
Yahiko: do I even make an appearance in this one? (under his breath) besides in a flashback scene that is  
  
BC (skeptically): maybe... well until next time waves 


	5. chapter 5

Disclaimer: only in my dreams do I own Rurouni Kenshin, but mind you I do own the idea's for this little fic!  
  
A/N: Thank you all who reviewed now on with the story. And I am not saying anything at the moment on who else will make an appearance, but if you think of most of the main characters (protagonists not antagonists though) They may be in here because you know how I am (just look at my other fic and you know what I mean. )

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One could only fathom how long it would take to get to Kyoto, especially on foot. Kyoto and Hokkaido are on two very different parts of Japan. And to travel there without Kaoru being caught would prove to be an effort within it's self.  
  
They had been walking in silence since the sun had come up, they had avoided towns at all costs; but they couldn't avoid a town now, they needed to buy passage on a steam boat to get back to Honshu ((A/N: that's the correct island isn't it?)) getting Kaoru on the boat would prove to be very difficult indeed.  
  
"Kenshin how are we going to do this?" Kaoru said as they looked down upon the city of Fukushima.  
  
Kenshin looked her over, "Well Miss Kaoru I think you may need a disguise, that town down there is swarming with police officers no doubt looking for you."  
  
"I already knew that much Kenshin, but what kind of disguise, no matter what they will be able to spot me, I mean I may be a plain girl but I am easy to-" Kaoru stopped, she got an idea a smile cracked across her face. "I'll be back-" she said and she disappeared into the trees.  
  
"Miss Kaoru I don't think it is a good idea for you to go off alone-"  
  
"Kenshin" she said sharply, "I don't want a hentai like you watching me get dressed so back off!"  
  
"Oro?" Kenshin said dully as the Battousai screamed inside his head 'What are you waiting around for? She may need some 'help'' Kenshin verbally squeaked another "Oro" as the rurouni inside of responded to the Battousai, 'No we will not! Miss Kaoru does not need any 'help' from you, that she does not!'  
  
'You sound a bit perturbed little Rurouni, are you a little protective of the girl?' the Battousai snorted.  
  
The rurouni glared 'What are you talking about we both are, and you know it!'  
  
'Yes but unlike you my dear rurouni, I am not afraid to admit what our feelings for her are; and I wouldn't mind showing her either...'  
  
The rurouni didn't get enough time to respond Kaoru had just walked out of the trees. Kenshin couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief. There was Kaoru standing in front of him dressed in a man's western style clothing. Not only that, she had done something to her appearance to make her a little more like a man than Kenshin ((A/N: Yeah I know that's not saying much there)). He couldn't put his finger on it but some how it worked.  
  
"What Kenshin?" Kaoru said confused at his expression, "You said I should have a disguise, and they can't tell it is me if I dress as a man."  
  
Kenshin looked at her unable to respond, "I-I um..." he stuttered. "Where did you get those clothes?"  
  
Kaoru smirked and she slung a package over her shoulder no doubt holding her other clothes and started to walk towards the town. She turned around to see Kenshin standing there still looking at her. "Kenshin, don't just stand there, I can't do this without you."  
  
"Yes ma'am!"  
  
"Stop with the ma'am thing for now." She said sternly  
  
Kenshin nodded and followed Kaoru down the hill, and into the town.  
  
When they arrived in the town they noticed that police had all flocked there, not only that but there were flyers all around town with a very ugly figure on it, they seemed to be for a wanted person. Kaoru picked up one of the papers and read it and she gasped.  
  
She grabbed Kenshin's sleeve to stop him. "Kenshin" she whispered trying to guise her feminine voice. "Do I really look like that?"  
  
"Oro?" Kenshin looked at the wanted flyer and read it.  
  
Wanted: Kamiya Kaoru for crimes against the government. Warning this suspect is suspected to be armed and dangerous if you see her, report to your local authority...  
  
Kenshin looked at the picture, it wasn't skillfully done at all, she had a menacing look on her face and the picture looked more like an angry leprechaun than Kaoru. Kenshin smirked, 'At least they wouldn't be able to tell what she looks like from the picture.'  
  
"What are you smiling at?" She said suspiciously.  
  
"Nothing, we should buy our tickets that we should."  
  
"You go ahead and buy them and I will meet you at the inn over by the docks." Kaoru grimaced she hated the thought of staying there but it was all that they could afford for the time being.  
  
"I think you should stay with me..."  
  
"Kenshin, you worry too much, I can handle myself! Besides it would look odd for two men buying tickets together." Kaoru didn't wait for him to respond as she walked off before Kenshin could protest further.  
  
'Stubborn as ever, she will never change.' Kenshin thought idly as he watched her retreating back.  
  
Kaoru was walking through the town when she got the urge to go into an armory supplies store to purchase herself a bokken, if she was going to be on the run she wanted to be able to defend herself even if she had Kenshin. She picked up a well built one and took a couple of practice swings when she felt a prickle on the back of her neck. Kaoru shot around to see Saitou standing in the shadows of the shop.  
  
"What do you want? Kenshin is on the other side of town." She said venomously.  
  
"Glad to see you're alive, now let's see if you can stay that way," He smirked.  
  
"Why so you can fight Kenshin?" She shot him a vindictive glare. "Do you have a one track mind or something?"  
  
"Hardly," Saitou lighted a cigarette and inhaled "Being able to fight The Battousai is a perk. But the truth is you are nothing more than bait, and you're kind of useless bait if you're dead."  
  
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Bait, for what?"  
  
Saitou just laughed as he turned to leave. Kaoru stood there as he walked pass her, she didn't even make an attempt to stop him, she knew her efforts would have been futile.  
  
Kaoru paid for the bokken and left the shop and made her way towards the inn. 'I can't tell Kenshin about Saitou,' she thought. 'He is worried about me enough as it is, I am always making him worry about me.'  
  
When Kaoru arrived at the inn Kenshin was already waiting in front of it for her. Raised her eyebrows at his expression, she didn't want to talk seeing the police men standing around the dock.  
  
"Our boat leaves in an hour." He said.  
  
"An hour?" She whispered "How did you get tickets for today?"  
  
"It's winter, not many people want to travel during the winter, but don't fret it Miss Ka-"  
  
Kaoru elbowed Kenshin little harder in the stomach than she intended when she noticed people were listening. "Kenshin!" she whispered harshly "Did you get hit in the head or something? You can't sit here and call me Miss! Or Kaoru at that!"  
  
Kenshin slapped himself for his mistake, 'Baka Rurouni!' he thought. "We should go, or we'll miss the boat."  
  
Kaoru nodded, she was going to speak as little as possible her voice was to feminine and would give her away fast.  
  
It didn't take them long but they had made it to the passenger ship that would take them to Aomori. Kenshin led Kaoru to the room that they would have to stay in for the duration of their trip.  
  
"Kenshin?" She questioned him as she looked into the dank little hole in the wall. That is defiantly what it was, the room was small not much bigger than an over sized closet, and had bunk beds with a small bucket in the corner and a mirror next to it.  
  
"I'm sorry Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said closing the door behind them. "I thought getting the earliest tickets out of here would be the best thing and well, they only had one room..." Kenshin blushed a little, he felt a little awkward having to share a room with Kaoru, but he just reminded himself that at least she would be safer with him there. Not to mention the battousai inside of him was screaming 'Oh yeah baby!' The rurouni started twitching at the Battousai's thoughts, 'No don't think about miss Kaoru like that!'  
  
"Well I get the bottom bunk," Kaoru said, she didn't much like the idea of falling off of the top one in the middle of the night.  
  
The ship started to move and they were off, soon they would arrive in Aomori, and they would be one step closer to Kyoto.  
  
"I think I am gonna be sick," Kaoru chocked as she ran for the bucket in the corner of the room and emptied her stomach of the lunch she had earlier that day.  
  
They arrived at Aomori it had taken them a long time, but it was worth it, now came the difficult part, they had to make it all the way to Kyoto(1) alive.  
  
To be continued...  
  
(1) for those who don't know it is about 420 miles (I think anyway, maps are evil!) of walking between Aomori (yeah that's right it's a real town I didn't pull the name out of my bum) and Kyoto, well they should have some 'fun' on the way don't you think?

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A/N: well pretty light and uneventful chapter, (well except for the semi- random appearance of Saitou, and Kaoru's adventure in the land of cross dressing.) but it will get better I promise. Just a warning, please notice that the next chapter is my reasoning for rating this story pg-13 (it would be rated R but I hate going into description on touchy subjects.)  
  
Oh I also have no qualms about delaying the next chapter if I don't get to many reviews so just press that little button on the bottom of your screen, you don't have to say much you could say BLIPPITY BLIPPITY BLUE! For all I care as long as I know that you are reading my story.  
  
Until next time! waves 


	6. chapter 6

Disclaimer: please don't taunt me. If I owned it why would I be putting this disclaimer here saying that I don't?  
  
A/N: thank you for your reviews! And I have a favor for you guys tell me if I rated this story wrong (I am bad at choosing a proper rating for stories). Now on with the story!!!

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It always seemed like they where walking in silence, they hadn't said a word since they left the last town and that was a day ago. Kaoru had to break the uneasy silence she couldn't stand it anymore.  
  
"Kenshin are we going through Tokyo on our way to Kyoto?" Kaoru had by now discarded her male disguise (for the time at least, she didn't much like the western clothes they where too restricting and she couldn't move easily) and had put on a training gi that she had 'borrowed' from someone's clothes line, she was just glad Yahiko wasn't there to comment of her new phony since of 'borrowing'.  
  
Kenshin would have loved to say 'yes' he wanted to show the other's back home as much as she did, that they where ok but he knew better. "I don't think it would be wise Miss Kaoru. They probably have Tokyo swarming with police officers looking for you. I don't even want to think of how many of them could be watching the dojo."  
  
Kaoru nodded she understood, she knew deep down before Kenshin had said anything that they wouldn't be able to stop at home but she had to ask, the silence was killing her. 

- - -

They stopped that night and found refuge under the shelter of a dense forest at the base of a mountain. They had not been traveling on the roads they could not take any chances no matter how small they may be.  
  
Kaoru propped herself against a tree to rest her tired body.  
  
"You haven't been sleeping, not since we left the farm." Kenshin said concerned that Kaoru was running her body too far.  
  
"I can't" she said letting herself relax against the tree but not letting herself drift to sleep.  
  
"Why?" He was going to get an answer out of her if it killed him.  
  
"I-I just can't" tears threatened to sting her eye's as she felt the demons that haunted her close in.  
  
"Kaoru-" Kenshin felt a strain on his heart. "Please tell me what's wrong..."  
  
Kaoru's eye's narrowed she wasn't going to tell him; she wasn't going to cave that easily. "Nothing is wrong, nothing at all."  
  
"You lie."  
  
"You don't want to know." Her voice had turned bitter and she glanced at him her eyes pleading with him not to press this any further.  
  
Kenshin ignored the look in her eyes, he knew what inner demons could do to a person, "Kaoru something is eating at your soul, if you don't say something you will burst..."  
  
Kaoru's tears spilled from her sapphire orbs she couldn't stand keeping it all to herself anymore it's true it was eating at her soul, "You want to know?" She stood up and faced him her body shaking she couldn't take being silent anymore, "Do you really want to know!?"  
  
She felt an anger and a fiery pain inside of her explode, "They took my dignity! Is that what you wanted to hear?" Her voice shook as Kenshin looked at her with udder shock. "Not only did they beat me to get their fake answers... but they forced themselves on me without mercy to punish me. Punish me for something I never even did. You wanted to know, right? You wanted to know, the humiliation, the fear that consumes me every time I close my eyes. Every time I see their faces, they killed me that day, and every time I close my eyes I feel myself die." Her walls had crumbled before her and she didn't even realize that it had happened.  
  
"You wanted to know. So tell me, are you happy, are you glad you know now!?" Kaoru's tears burned as they rolled down her face and she started to cry, She cried as if she was never going to stop, but still she stood there defiantly looking at Kenshin waiting for his answer.  
  
All he did was hang his head down. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. He didn't know what else to do so he did what his heart told him, Kenshin put his arms around Kaoru and held her as he combed his fingers through her hair to console her, he whispered softly into her ear, "It's alright now... I won't let anything like that happen to you again, for as long as I live."  
  
If anything Kaoru cried harder and she grabbed fistfuls of his gi and buried her face into his shoulder. Kaoru cried in his arms, and she cried until her body gave up and she found herself consumed by overwhelming exhaustion.

- - -

Kaoru woke up the next morning lying in Kenshin's arms. She blushed a little she didn't remember falling asleep last night, let alone in his arms. She moved a little to let him know she was awake.  
  
Kenshin felt her move slightly and his eye's soon snapped open. The sun had barely risen, as the sky showed a hint of pink and gold which shone down beautifully on Kaoru's silk skin. 'What am I thinking?' Kenshin thought, 'I do not deserve to think of Miss Kaoru that way!'  
  
"Kenshin are you ok?" Kaoru said looking at his furrowed expression.  
  
"Hmm...Yes Miss Kaoru how are you?"  
  
Kaoru blushed. "I-I'm sorry for last night, I-"  
  
"I understand," He said softly, "Miss Kaoru I think it is time to get up, that it is."  
  
Kaoru blushed furiously and jumped up almost automatically. She turned her back trying not to show her obvious embarrassment.  
  
Kenshin went to work fixing them a meager breakfast from what they had carried with them (which wasn't very much).  
  
"How far do you think we would be if it where safe to travel by train?" She asked idly looking at the blue skies beyond the trees.  
  
Kenshin smiled inwardly as he looked at Kaoru, 'To think I am wandering again, but this time I have a destination, I have a reason...'  
  
"Kenshin why are you staring like that?" She said walking up to him waving her hand in front of his face.  
  
"Oro?"  
  
"You know you can be a little more spacey than Yahiko sometimes." Kaoru laughed as they started there journey once again.  
  
They walked on for a while, though covered by the forest they still walked in silence, neither person had much to say. Kenshin walked a few steps ahead of Kaoru leading the way. They had been walking for a while when Kenshin stuck a hand in front of Kaoru.  
  
"Kenshin..." she said  
  
"We're being followed." He said quietly to her putting his hand towards his sakabatou, he had felt the presence for a while now but it had been distant and hadn't threatened to come close to them, now however was a different story. "Might as well show yourself." He said so the person could hear him.  
  
"Oh Himura you don't want to fight an unarmed boy do you?" came the voice of a soft spoken boy.  
  
"Seta Soujiro, you're not exactly unarmed." Kenshin said looking at him but he felt a little calmer as he saw the boy walk out of a thicket.  
  
"Well I can't say that I am surprised to see you out here, headed to Kyoto are you?" Soujiro asked looking at Kaoru who was still protectively behind Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin smiled a little, "Yes we are."  
  
"I've been through Tokyo lately and ever since her escape," Soujiro motioned towards Kaoru. "They have had police scouring the streets of the city not to mention they have closed her Dojo and kicked that kid out, I think he himself went to Kyoto."  
  
"You have become very perceptive of these happenings why is that?"  
  
"It's hard to move in the shadows and not hear things." Soujiro was still smiling and he looked at Kaoru, "You better get a move on you have some of those federal officers out for your blood and they probably aren't too far behind your trail."  
  
And without another word Soujiro kept walking to his destination.  
  
Kaoru watched his retreating back. She breathed a sigh, "I hope that Yahiko made it to the Aoiya all right."  
  
Kenshin didn't answer, his eyes had narrowed and became a blue hue.  
  
His look frightened Kaoru a little, "what are you thinking about?"  
  
"It's going to be a little harder than I thought. Now that Yahiko is in Kyoto as well we will only be putting him in danger."  
  
"But-" Kaoru didn't finish Kenshin interrupted her once again.  
  
"I planned on going to the Aoiya. Your answers are in Kyoto and the Aoiya is a safe place, but with people flocking there it is going to be harder than I anticipated."  
  
"How so?"  
  
Kenshin looked at her gravely "Well... It is a good guess to say that the Police are tailing Yahiko to see if he has connections in Kyoto that could lead to you..."  
  
"But if he is staying at the Aoiya then wouldn't Aoshi, Misao and the other Oniwabanshu be in trouble there too?" She asked as they started their trek through the mountains.  
  
"I don't know, I sent a letter to Okina to tell him what happened and asked for their assistance."  
  
"That was reckless."  
  
"Oro?" usually he told her that she did something reckless what did she mean that what he did was reckless?  
  
"What if someone intercepted the letter what if they knew we were coming!?" Kaoru started to panic.  
  
"Kaoru- do you take me for a fool? I know that, The Oniwabanshu have connections everywhere..."  
  
"But that can be intercepted! And when did you get time to do this?" She had realized he was talking about the carrier pidgins that the Oniwabanshu used to send messages. Kenshin had obviously left the message to someone within the group who sent the letter by carrier pidgin.  
  
"It was when we were in that town waiting for the boat, and I doubt that it could be intercepted, at least not by the police that is."  
  
"Oh," They walked on in silence once again; both had new things to think about since their run in with Soujiro. What more could you say? What more could be uttered?  
  
Winter was slowly breaking into spring and it was easily seen as the snow slowly melted in the mountains creating little springs of water that where perfect for drinking. The fear of being found had wound around Kaoru's heart as she refused the offer for them to rest even though her legs where burning with the pain of walking all day long. 'How did Kenshin do this for ten years?'  
  
"Miss Kaoru I think it would be a good idea for you to rest." Kenshin had noticed the weariness in her eyes starting to become stronger. Although she may be very strong for a woman she still was not used to traveling a whole day, especially in the type of terrain a mountain has.  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "No Kenshin I'm fine I already told you that." She looked behind her.  
  
"Kaoru, they are not going to catch up with us if we rest for ten minuets. Even this unworthy one needs to rest at some point." He didn't really need to rest but he was ready to say almost anything to get her to rest.  
  
Kaoru glared at him before she caved. "Fine but we're not resting for long!"  
  
As soon as Kaoru sat on a nearby rock she realized how fatigued she really was, she closed her eyes and she was asleep before Kenshin could ask if she was hungry.  
  
Kenshin looked at Kaoru and smiled, 'I knew she was tired. She looks so sweet like that... No stop thinking of that I am not worthy enough to think like that!' Kenshin gently picked her up and put her under the protection of a tree and proceeded to keep watch from a tree branch.  
  
Kaoru had fallen into an exhausted sleep, to tired to dream, even of her demons that had followed her from Hokkaido. Though it seemed a weight had been lifted off of her shoulder when she had entrusted her story with Kenshin it was now replaced with an equal if not larger weight. Guilt.  
  
To be continued...

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A/N: Ok what did you think? I had a hard time keeping this chapter long (well long for me) Please review, because they are an incentive to update faster.  
  
And thank you again for those of you who did review. 


	7. chapter 7

A/N: I finally broke my writers block on this story ((yayness!!)) well after writing like 50 pages for 'Lost' (which I will update at the same time as this one )

Anyway this chapter has a lot of inner conflict in it, and I don't mean just the normal Kenshin conflict, Kaoru has her own problems too.

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Day's went by mostly in silence, neither person knew what to say to the other, and silence can be deadly.  
  
Kaoru started to feel guilty for what happened; maybe she did kill those people. Maybe she just didn't remember doing it if that was possible, was she turning into a monster, one that wouldn't be stopped? Maybe she deserved what had happened to her. Maybe she should let the police take her back, maybe she did deserve death...  
  
Kenshin looked around they weren't far outside of Tokyo now they would have to walk around the city, that would set them back at least three days. 'But that doesn't matter as long as Miss Kaoru is safe.' The rurouni voice said in his head.  
  
'Yeah I know that, I think we all know that! But Look at Kaoru she's beating herself up inside!' Kenshin thought in retort to his more submissive half. 'She's blaming herself!'  
  
The battousai grinned, 'I know how we can fix that...'  
  
'NO!!' The two other halves yelled seeing his thoughts.  
  
"Kenshin?" Kaoru was looking at him strange he had that furrowed expression again and it made her wonder what he was thinking about.  
  
"It's nothing Miss Kaoru." Kenshin said allowed  
  
"Uh huh," She said not convinced.  
  
'She's on to me,' he thought.  
  
Kaoru sighed as she looked off into the distance and saw her dojo and the town that lay beyond it. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and she turned and gave Kenshin a faint smile. Reassuring him that she was ok, lying to him, keeping what she really felt inside was killing her but as long as it didn't kill anyone else it was ok.  
  
'You should lay more trust in him, he's here because he cares for you.' her conscience said in the back of her mind.  
  
'You think I don't already know that!' She retorted, 'But why should I burden him with my problems? He has so many of his own that he holds inside why should I add my own to his!'  
  
'Because he wants you to, because he cares, that's right he cares, that's a first for you in a long time isn't it?'  
  
Kaoru cringed inwardly at this. 'But that is exactly it, I don't deserve him, mainly for that reason, it would be selfish, it wouldn't be right, he deserves better than me.'  
  
'Does he now?'  
  
'Yes, yes he does,' She was getting flustered with her own thinking. 'Otherwise he would trust me more. He must know that I am just a stupid raccoon girl... Nothing more than a little sister, and why should you entrust your pain, your concerns, your soul with someone like that?'  
  
"Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin had been watching her for a while now and she looked about as frustrated as he did when he was having an inner battle.  
  
"What?" she snapped not thinking about what she sounded like.  
  
"Are you ok?" He asked a little surprised by her tone "You seem to have something on your mind?"  
  
"I'm fine!" she said sounding more exasperated than she had meant to. 'Jeeze why are you snapping at him he didn't do anything?'  
  
Stupid, stupid conscious!  
  
"I'm sorry Kenshin, I just have a lot on my mind." She looked down at her dojo which had become a camp for the police. She couldn't help but feel angry, 'They better not touch any of my clothes!'  
  
'Is that something you really should be thinking about right now...'  
  
Stupid, stupid conscious, what Kaoru wouldn't give if she could jam a sock down it's throat, or take Kenshin's sakabatou and...  
  
"We better go Miss Kaoru, we should try to get as far away from here as we can."  
  
Kaoru just nodded she took one more glance at the city before following Kenshin farther off into the distance.  
  
- - -  
  
Much to Kaoru's relief they spent most of the night traveling she still didn't like to rest for fear of letting her demons to return.  
  
Kenshin knew what she was putting herself through, it killed him, but what was he to do? How could he help heal her heart when she wouldn't let him in? 'Maybe you don't try hard enough, anyway why should she let you in when you yourself will not give her the satisfaction of the same, you're a hypocrite! You don't deserve her!' his inner battousai sneered.  
  
'Yeah well you're right we don't deserve her, this one loves her to much to hurt her anymore than she already is...'  
  
'You're dense! Look at her... go on look at her!' Kenshin glanced sideways at Kaoru, 'You see, what is it that you are feeling? Isn't that what you need? Who cares if we deserve her or not? What about her, she needs us whether you believe we are deserving or not, that doesn't matter, she needs us! You're always the one who wants to protect her, well stop protecting her from yourself for once in your pathetic life and see that she needs protecting from something far more threatening than a rurouni in a pink gi!'  
  
'It's Magenta.' The rurouni muttered, 'And anyway when did you become the voice of reason?'  
  
'When you became the voice of stupidity,' The battousai said matter of fact 'She needs more protecting from herself than you at the moment, so why don't you do something about it!'  
  
'Like what?' the rurouni saw exactly what the battousai was thinking 'No, no and no! we are not doing that, NO!'  
  
'Well at least talk to her you dense son of a-'  
  
"Kenshin?"  
  
"Oro?!" he squeaked being caught off guard.  
  
"Are you ill?" She put the back of her hand to his forehead to check his temperature. He had looked pail and he kept making side glances at her, she was starting to worry.  
  
Kenshin grabbed her hand and pulled it down, but he didn't let it go, "I'm fine" he looked at her with serious resignation. "Kaoru I-" but he didn't finish someone was coming.  
  
Kaoru felt herself being pulled towards Kenshin her head landed against the crook of his neck, she noticed how comfortably she fit there. She also noticed that Kenshin was running deep into the forest zig-zagging as he did this. Kaoru gasped inwardly as her eye's met amber one's. 'What could have brought this on?  
  
She silently questioned him as he carried her deeper and deeper into the forest.  
  
Her only answer was an amber gaze, minuets later they were far enough into the forest that he could no longer feel the foreboding ki from just a few moments earlier.  
  
"Kenshin?"  
  
"Someone was getting to close, we are going to have to stay off any road indefinitely now..." Kenshin's hitokiri senses did not subside as he stayed on guard the rest of the day as the made there way through the thick under growth of the forest.  
  
It was a long journey, it took them five days longer traveling by the cover of night, and seeking shelter anywhere they could. But Five days and a lot of mental curses from both person later they finally, in the cover of darkness, they saw the dim light's of the Aoiya shining as if it were a beckon in the distance. And beyond that Kenshin saw what he feared the most, police they were keeping guard outside the inn.  
  
"Damn it," Kenshin said in a low growl.  
  
Kaoru stared at him still amazed at the change in his mannerism since they had left the roads. "Kenshin?" she questioned softly trying to hide her worry of his change.  
  
"We can't stay at the Aoiya...It's too much of a risk."  
  
"Then where are we to go?" They defiantly were not going to stay anywhere else in the city, Kaoru might as well hand herself over now if that was the case.  
  
Kenshin didn't say a word instead he looked at the hills beyond Kyoto.  
  
"You aren't thinking what I think you are? ...Are you?" Kenshin looked at her to confirm her question; "Well maybe you should get him some sake before we make our way down there?" She scoffed  
  
He glanced at her he wanted to smile, 'that almost wasn't a half bad idea...'  
  
They made there way around the city making their way to a forest to the home of a 'hermit' as some would call him, hardly that. Kenshin and Kaoru made there way to the home of Seijuro Hiko 13th master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu.

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: You know while I was writing this chapter I couldn't help but think that I am so mean to Kaoru (read 'oh brother' and 'lost' and you know what I'm talking about), maybe after I am done with this story I will right a story where something nice happens to her for once. How does that sound?


	8. chapter 8

Disclaimer: TT no matter how much I wish I will never own the series or those certain character's in it that I love so much!

A/N: Woot an update aren't we all special!! =D Tell me what you think of my abnormal acting Hiko... Don't worry it won't last long.

* * *

They walked through an all too familiar path; it was the one that they had taken to Hiko's residence before Kenshin's battle with Shishio. At least this time they where walking this path together.

"Kenshin, I really think you should have gotten him some sake," Kaoru said, she was trying to sound convincing but it just wasn't working. "He might take us trying to hideout at his home better while he has a little sake in his system..."

"I doubt it, he usually has 'a little in his system' most of the time anyway and that won't change his decision making much..."

"But a little kindness might just sway him..."

"Heh" Kenshin sighed inwardly, 'If she only knew.'

"Well if it isn't my idiot apprentice." A voice boomed behind them making Kaoru jump. "I was wondering when I would see you again." Hiko had appeared walking up the road from Kyoto obviously carrying a new gourd of sake which he had no doubt drank from already.

"Master!" Kenshin responded, 'why didn't I notice him walking behind me?' he thought. "I was wondering if...I mean..."

"I have heard of a young kendo teacher from Tokyo" Hiko said cutting Kenshin off, "Who has been convicted of killing government officials very gruesomely." Hiko said looking straight at Kaoru.

"Not to mention escaping from the prison in Hokkaido, and beating up five officers in her escape..." Hiko said ticking off the things that she had done on his fingers, then he did something that surprised Kaoru, he smiled at her understandingly. "But from what I hear this teacher has a vow not to kill, and obviously has no reason to start now. I would be more than willing to help this certain teacher even if it means giving her a place of refuge, even if that means I have to put up with my idiot apprentice again."

Kaoru bowed solemnly, "Thank you for understanding."

"Come, if I am letting you stay here, the least you could do is work, my idiot apprentice shall chop wood, and you Miss have you ever worked pottery before?"

Kaoru shook her head. "No sir."

"Don't call me 'sir' it make's me feel old, just call me Hiko. Go on now Kenshin the wood won't chop itself."

Kenshin stood there looking blankly at how very UnHiko-like he was acting. 'Something very strange is going on, that it is.'

Kenshin proceeded to chop all the wood before him and brought some into the hut and watched as Hiko explained the finer points of making the perfect teacup.

Kaoru nodded intently as she listened to Hiko's instructions, it was nice to concentrate on something other than her current situation or traveling. It was also nice to listen to something more than her own thoughts.

Kenshin smiled as he noticed a tiny sparkle light up in Kaoru's eyes as she tried to create her own teacup. It may have just been Kenshin, but to him the light glowing from the open kiln caressed Kaoru's face making her seem almost ethereal in its orange glow. He felt a small bit of contentment as he watched her concentrate so hard on that one little teacup.

"You know if you stare any longer you are going to burn a hole in the back of her head." Hiko said now standing next to Kenshin in the doorway taking another swig from his gourd. "You have sacrificed a lot for this one, tell me is it worth it?"

Kenshin was enchanted by the way Kaoru carefully set her almost finished work into the kiln to fire it, somewhere. He pondered Hiko's question for a moment, "I do not regret my choices when it comes to Miss Kaoru, and I will sacrifice everything if I have to. I will give up my life protecting her, it is more than worth it."

Hiko raised an eyebrow, "Well my idiot apprentice isn't as much of an idiot as I thought, but can you tell her what you think?"

"She knows that I will protect her no matter what-"

"That is not what I meant and you know it!" Hiko said cutting him off for the second time that day; "Anyone could see it in your eyes, but you will not convey what you are truly feeling, are you afraid that she will end up like To-"

"Yes," Kenshin cut him off, "And I am unworthy of every having any such feeling towards Miss Kaoru, that I am."

"I was mistaken, you are still an idiot," Hiko said sounding exasperated by Kenshin's denseness, "But then again you can't help that can you? Maybe one day you will realize the truth."

"What is that supposed to mean Master?"

"Oh nothing" he took another drink from his gourd and walked back into the hut to talk to Kaoru. "It will take a few more hours before it is ready to leave the flames why don't you and my idiot apprentice go work on dinner."

"Master?" Kenshin questioned again.

"I told you that I wouldn't let you stay here for free." Hiko handed Kenshin a rod and Kaoru a bucket.

"Why don't you catch some fish and collect some vegetables or do something useful, I am letting you stay here for free after all."

((A/N: Is it just me or am I making him sound a little like Kaoru with that line?))

- - -

In the dark alleys of Kyoto an even darker figure moved stealthily through the alley ways towards its target. Slowly it crept up to a carriage as it stopped before a large imperial building.

The dark figure entered the carriage undetected bringing a katana down on its prey, tonight another person would loose their life, but the one thing their killer didn't expect was that they lived long enough to see them and tell someone.

"Dark blue...eyes... ebony hair... Th-they smelled like..." but before they could splutter out the rest of their response they were consumed by their own death.

"Officer Fujita, did you get that?" Asked a stout little man, "She strikes even here in front of the government building, Hokkaido couldn't hold her and you couldn't even stop the woman, what is she? What is this Kamiya Kasshin?"

Saitou didn't really listen to the man's babble he was more concerned with the fact that things where getting more and more complicated; if he was going to get anything done he would have to pay a visit to Kaoru again, he needed to set his bate soon but he had to be careful. If he failed this he had a feeling the battousai would renounce his vow and try to kill him. 'Let him try.'

Saitou couldn't help but think again about the Kamiya girl; 'She has no idea the web that she has been unwillingly thrown in to; it will be interesting to see how she handles this.' An evil sneer appeared on the man's face, 'Well we shall see how strong Battousai's woman really is.' Saitou headed home, all he wanted to do at that moment was go to sleep and pay some well needed attention to his wife Tokio.

- - -

In a tree far enough away to be undetected by a certain mibu wolf, Oniwabanshu Okashira Shinomori Aoshi; 'If I hadn't have seen it with my own eyes... but she is with the battousai now, but they where on the way here. It is obvious that appearances can be deceiving; it looks like a little digging will need to be done.' Aoshi disappeared into the shadows. It was going to be a long night and it had only begun.

- - -

Early the next morning Kenshin snuck around the little hut he had stayed in trying as best he could not to wake Kaoru from her well needed sleep.

"Where are you going?" Hiko asked sitting on a stump outside of his hut.

"To get answers."

"And what should I tell Miss Kamiya when she awakens?"

"Tell her that I will be back soon, and don't let her leave the mountain." he added the last part on almost as an after thought, she knew not to leave but he just needed to make sure she knew.

"..." Hiko watched his idiot apprentices retreating back, 'What do I look like his messenger boy?'

To be continued...

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A/N: I was gonna make this chapter longer but then I looked through it and I decided against it, trust me it would have made the story very tedious.

Yahiko: It gave me a headache.

BC: you know what Yahiko-chan... =P

Yahiko: -.- oh yeah that's real mature.

BC: ::waves:: until the next chapter.


	9. chapter 9

Disclaimer: TT I don't own RK

A/N: Sorry about the lateness of the last chapter, but hey at least I updated this one quickly ne?

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Kenshin walked on down towards Kyoto, he wanted to pay a visit to the Aoiya first, and maybe calm some of his nerves knowing that the residence where unharmed.

It was late morning by the time Kenshin made his way through the streets, he had only hoped that he wouldn't walk through the streets of Kyoto again, but again he felt himself pulled there once more. Pulled there for a battle he once again could not escape. Soon he stood before the Aoiya drinking in the sight of the inn as he stepped in and was almost instantly greeted by a yell.

"Come back you stupid weasel girl!" It was Sanosuke, what was he doing here? Last Kenshin heard of him he was somewhere off in China.

"No way rooster-head, these are my rice-balls now!" Shouted Misao running headlong into Kenshin, dropping the rice-balls on his head in the process.

"Ororororororo" Kenshin fell into a heap uttering his tell-tale phrase.

"Himura!" Misao shrieked surprised that it was he who broke her fall.

"Kenshin buddy, I was wondering when you would get here." Sano said standing the oroing rurouni on his feet and brushing him off.

"Kenshin?" Yahiko's voice came from the depths of the inn, "Does that mean busu is here as well?" His voice seemed almost hopeful as he came out carrying his shinai with him, obviously he had been training when Kenshin had arrived and didn't even bother to put down the bamboo sword.

"Hey where is Jou-chan, Kenshin?" Sano asked looking around for her.

"She's probably still asleep, I came here alone," Kenshin started to explain "We arrived a few nights ago but we saw that police where stationed near here. We can't take the risk..."

"This isn't talk for the front door," Okina who had joined the small group as well looking anxiously outside the gate, "Come Himura, to the sitting room, and you can tell us exactly what happened. Your letter was a little lax to say the least."

"I am sorry about that, that I am" Kenshin said as he walked away from the door and started toward the sitting room with the small band of friends following in suite.

"So why don't you start by telling us exactly what happened with Jou-chan, the shrimp didn't exactly give us many details." Sano said mussing up the little boy's hair.

Kenshin nodded and started to explain what had happened, but Kenshin thinking first of Kaoru, left out some parts of the story.

"This doesn't make any sense..." Misao said after Kenshin had finished explaining what had happened. "Kaoru, she would never do anything like that, she would never kill people..."

"Not just people, 'high ranking' government pigs..." Sanosuke corrected her with a bitter tone.

"It has to be someone from the inside," Kenshin inferred, "Someone is hiring whoever is doing this, to kill those people and posing Kaoru as the killer."

"Then someone is planning a takeover or something right? So that is why you are here, to talk to someone? And who would that person be?" Misao asked

"I-"

"Battousai..." Aoshi had just walked into the room after a long night of research.

"Lord Aoshi!" Misao bounded up to him "Are you alright? you look exhausted!"

Aoshi didn't say anything but looked at Kenshin for a moment trying to surmise what he could tell the man before him.

"There was another murder last night." He finally said, not being able to think of another way to put it. Kenshin looked up at him not saying anything in return. "This should be discussed in private." Aoshi said looking around at the small group who although protested finally got the message that it was useless, and begrudgingly left.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?" Kenshin asked.

"Was she with you last night Kenshin? Did she at anytime leave your side?"

Kenshin raised an eyebrow at the question. "Miss Kaoru was with me... Why do you ask?"

"I was there last night," Aoshi said drinking some tea calmly, as if this where a light conversation. "I saw the killer, are you sure that she was with you?"

"Of course she was!" Of all the absurd things... "She would have never killed anyone in the first place! You should know this!" Kenshin felt frustration building, how could anyone think his Kaoru was capable of doing any such thing?

'Yours? When did she become yours battousai?' his rurouni half asked quizzically.

'Shut up.' Now wasn't the time for an inner argument, especially not in front of someone like Shinomori Aoshi who could see straight through his façade.

"Settle down battousai it was just a simple question. I know that she wouldn't by her own free will, but the person I saw was a mirror image of the girl last night wielding a sword, killing a man. Unless she has a twin or something, I have no explanation for last nigh other than-"

"She did not kill anyone!" Kenshin said a little more loudly than he had meant to, he was getting even more frustrated with Aoshi's assumptions. For someone so cunning he can be really stupid sometimes.

"Settle down." Aoshi said calmly drinking his tea. "I have one more assumption, I think that whoever this is has been hired to do this, they are going through a line of power that could reach all the way to the top if they are not stopped, there is a rat within the walls of the government building."

"Where did you get this information?" Kenshin wondered.

"I have my sources." Aoshi finished drinking his tea before leaving the room, but before he left he turned to Kenshin and said one last thing, "Keep her close, she is stuck in a web that won't be easy to untangle."

- - -

Kaoru awoke late in the morning as the sun burned through her eyelids. She looked around the hut before dimly realizing where she was, she looked around for a sign of Kenshin but there was none. She dressed into the only clean thing she had left which happened to be some clothes that she had 'borrowed' from a clothes line; the hakama was grey and the gi was black. For some reason, though she didn't know why, she felt that these dark colors fit the way she was at that moment.

She walked out of the hut to be greeted by Hiko sitting on a wooden stump eating a grilled fish. "Come, and join me." he said handing her the other fish that had been roasting over an open flame. Kaoru took the meal and sat on a stump across from Hiko.

"Tell me what my idiot apprentice has been up to since we last met."

Kaoru smiled kindly at him, there wasn't much to tell, but tell she did. It was nice talking about trivial things, it made her block some of the feelings of dread she had.

"And your apprentice? What of him?" Hiko asked sipping his tea.

Kaoru blinked for a moment. 'I don't remember Kenshin ever saying that Hiko was personable...' ((Kenshin: That's because he's not!)) "He is a hard learner, though a bit stubborn...Really stubborn is more like it."

"He sounds like someone I know." Hiko smirked.

Kaoru knew what he meant, 'I can defiantly see a younger Kenshin acting like Yahiko does sometimes...' Kaoru smiled at the thought of a younger Kenshin being brow beaten by Hiko. "Yahiko is strong, and has the heart of a swordsman. I could teach him more than what I have, but I have held back because I don't want strength, and pride to go to his head."

"That is one of the more important things of teaching; knowing the limits of your student's pride; that is probably why I was so hard on my idiot apprentice," Hiko mused, "I didn't want him to have some kind of foolish pride that overshadowed the true meaning of what I was trying to teach him." Hiko grabbed his sake gourd and offered some to Kaoru.

She smiled and declined his offer. She found that Hiko was sharing his thoughts with her odd for some reason. "Yes, that is true what you say, I am hard on my student as well, I don't want him to be overpowered by his pride, but he has it already and it has gotten him in some trouble before. I just want to protect him from, well himself." She laughed a little.

"Hmm..." Hiko smirked at her last sentence. "When was the last time you trained, you look like you haven't held a sword for months." He threw her the bokken that she had purchased some time before. "You know it's not good for a teacher to become out of practice. What would happen if you let your student beat you? His pride would defiantly go to his head, especially if he is as much like my idiot apprentice as he sounds..."

- - -

Saitou walked in the stillness of the early afternoon towards a large waterfall. He could sense her ki for a while now and could tell that she was near, and training. "It is time for us to talk again."

Kaoru gasped and turned around, she had been doing her katas near the waterfall and didn't even hear the mibu wolf approach her.

"Do we now?" she said, "You wouldn't happen to be here to tell me that I am no longer your 'bait' am I?" she mused aloud.

"Hardly" he said harshly as she stared back at him.

Kaoru had a feeling she would be here for a while. 'It is time for us to talk again' wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear especially from a greasy wolf like Saitou. "Cut to the chase, why are you here?" she eyed him suspiciously trying all though fruitlessly to read his stone cold face.

"Things are becoming more and more twisted I suggest that you stay up here in your little 'safe haven' don't go anywhere."

"And why should I?" she really had no intention of going anywhere in the first place, but she was going to milk Saitou for all he was worth.

"It isn't time for you to make your appearance, the lead has not been set, if you were to show now you would be dead, and I would never be able to stop this person."

"Are you saying that you care whether I live or die?" she asked quizzically.

"I don't, you could die for all I care after this is all done, but right now you are more useful to me alive."

"Why me? I want to know what kind of person would the police mistake for me to this extent? And why you even care to get involved?"

"..."

"I Deserve that much at least!"

"That is classified information."

"Classified my ass." Her patients was starting to run thin.

Saitou turned away and started walking Kaoru's anger was bubbling now, "Don't you turn your back! Answer me Damn it!" She was screaming a little more than she would have normally.

Saitou stopped and looked back at the angry young girl. "It is for your best interest to stay here listen to the battousai and his master, no matter what happens stay here!" he faced her "That is a warning,"

If Kaoru wasn't fuming before she was now. She wanted to throw her bokken at Saitou's retreating head and scream at him some more. 'A warning what does he mean a warning? When did he start to decide it mattered whether she lived or not.'

'Because you are the bait, that's why,' she thought bitterly as she started to do her katas again to calm herself.

- - -

After a very frustrating conversation with Aoshi, Kenshin made his way back to the mountain but stopped when something caught his eye in one of the stands. 'Maybe I should...' he fumbled for a few seconds with his money to see how much he could afford to lose, and after determining the amount he bought the best Sake he could buy with the money that he had. 'Maybe I can figure out what master is up to.' Kenshin made his way back to the mountain, gourd in hand.

"It's not going to work" Hiko said as Kenshin approached him.

"Oro?"

"I am not going to tell you why I have been so generous, that is why you bought me this very nice sake right, to persuade me?" Hiko smirked knowing that was his reason, 'you can't fool your teacher!'

"Where's Kaoru?" It was obviously time for a conversation change, he would try to find out the reason for his masters 'kindness' later.

"Practicing over by the waterfall, you can't expect a teacher of a very interesting style like Kamiya Kasshin to fall out of practice."

"What do you mean interesting?" Kenshin raised an eyebrow 'how much are you not telling me? You know something and I will find out what it is.'

Hiko just shrugged and took the sake from Kenshin and disappeared into his hut and went to work on making some pottery and drinking some of the very fine sake his idiot apprentice purchased for him.

- - -

Kaoru was finding a little peace as she tried to work her body into exhaustion. The mist from the waterfall behind her only seemed to fuel her determination as she worked her muscles and will harder, and harder; she could feel her body start to protest, but she ignored the pain, it only proved that she was still alive. 'I will break past my barriers.' She thought she kept that as her mantra as she worked her body harder.

Sweat rolled down her face and her breath became labored she had surpassed her physical limit and could no distinguish her physical self any longer; she was lost in her absence of thought. This was the first time she had become numb to the feeling of pain inside her own being, and she would hold on to that feeling as long as she could. Tears started to fall as she felt a small pain start to rise from her chest. 'I don't want to feel, please stop.'

'You have to at some point...'

- - -

Kenshin was watching her from a safe distance, and marveled over how she looked as she practiced. Sure he had watched her practice before, but this time something was different. She was near exhaustion whether she knew it or not he figured it didn't matter to her, she was lost within her own mind. Something he knew all to well.

He found himself walking towards her approaching her from behind. He knew it wasn't the smartest thing he could do, but if he didn't interrupt her he knew she would work her body past the breaking point something she would be sorry for later.

Kaoru felt a presence behind her, no it wasn't someone's ki, she didn't know how to sense ki, but she recognized this feeling 'Kenshin.' With this small realization she decided to ignore the urge to turn around and attack the person approaching her. What she didn't expect was the feeling of two strong arms stop her exercise and his voice whisper into her ears.

"I think you have practiced enough for today, Kaoru." Kenshin whispered as he held a hold of her arms so she couldn't swing her bokken anymore.

Kaoru gasped, not only was he being very forward by approaching her this way he didn't say 'Miss.' But she nodded and let her arms drop and she caught her breath she didn't realize how tired she was and how she couldn't even hold herself up anymore. Her knees buckled and she felt her self slip to the ground, but not fall.

"You shouldn't work yourself so hard Miss Kaoru." Kenshin had scooped her in his arms and was smiling his rurouni smile.

'I guess it was too good to last.' Kaoru thought but Kenshin carrying her was fine with her as well, but all her thoughts were ruined by an obscenely annoying voice in the back of her head.

'You shouldn't be enjoying this, you don't deserve be happy! You with your defiled hands, you shouldn't dare feel this!'

Kaoru flinched inwardly and pleaded with herself, 'Please let me have one moment of peace!' Tears of frustration and anguish burned her eye's and she buried her face into Kenshin's shoulder. 'Just one moment...'

Kenshin looked at Kaoru and wished that he could just make all of her fears go away but he knew it was a futile wish. Nothing could change what has happened. Not ever.

To be continued...

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A/N: So what did you think? I worked really hard on making this longer than three pages I hope you all enjoyed, until the next chapter ::Waves::


	10. chapter 10 the real one I promise

Disclaimer: How many of these have I written? Well anyway I dunn' own the series so dunn' sue me!

A/N: thank you animegurl23 for letting me know about the chapter, my stupid computer has been on the fritz and my documents in turn have suffered the consequences ::sighs:: anyway here is the real chapter 10 enjoy!

Sorry it took me so long to update school computer problems bad

Oh and for the date I am going by the day on absoluteanime (a fun site, IMHO)

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Sleep is always a good thing, especially when you are exhausted; it's the waking up part that was always gets you. Especially when every part of the body is suffering from the aches and pains of working it past it's limits.

Kaoru groaned as she tried to turn over on her futon but to no avail her body protested to any movement what-so-ever. Kaoru gave up the futile fight and just lay on her stomach waiting hopefully for someone to get her (mainly Kenshin). Though no one came and she lay there unable to move and starting to get very hungry.

"Mmm" she grumbled as she forced herself up off of the ground, 'mental note number one, never try to work yourself into exhaustion and then go to sleep directly afterwards.

"You're awake?" Hiko asked as she meandered out into the fresh air.

Kaoru blinked a couple of times. "Where's Kenshin?"

"He said something about talking to an old friend of his. He won't be back for a while."

"Ah," Kaoru said as she slid to the ground slowly. "What day is today?" she asked suddenly struck by a thought.

"June 3rd" Hiko thought this was an odd question but he played along with it.

Kaoru smiled feebly and she closed her eyes and then started to laugh at herself for forgetting. "To think I would be here of all places."

"Hmm..." Hiko quirked his eyebrow in interest.

Kaoru realized that she had started to muse aloud again. "It's nothing," her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment (much like Hiko's do after drinking too much sake).

There was a silent agreement between the two that whatever was on her mind was not to be brought up.

"Umm..." Kaoru began but was interrupted.

"Has my idiot apprentice ever told you about the time he ate poisoned leaves and saw in swirled color for nearly a week?"

Kaoru smiled mischievously, "No he has not, I would like to hear that... and maybe some other stories."

"That is all well in good, but I will tell you on one condition."

Kaoru looked at him worried at what he was going to ask.

"No nothing like that," Hiten-Mitsurugi does come in handy when it comes to sensing a persons uncertainties. "I want you to work on some pottery..."

An odd request, but one that Kaoru wasn't about to turn down; especially if it meant hearing incriminating stories of Kenshin that she could hold against him later. So as she started to shape a tea cup (her new specialty). Hiko began his story.

Time past and a whole tea set later, Kaoru had full knowledge of most of the tales Hiko had to offer about Kenshin growing up. As Hiko finished his long winded tale of how Kenshin learned that using a katana to cut a persons hair was a bad idea our rurouni in question came walking into the hut not knowing that he was now under serious scrutiny by a certain raccoon girl.

"So Kenshin... I thought you just liked your hair long I didn't know you were afraid to cut it ever again..."

"Oro?!" Kenshin then realized what had happened, "Master! You didn't tell Miss Kaoru those stories did you?"

"Only some of them, I didn't tell her the more incriminating ones." Kaoru smiled with the prospect of more stories about her rurouni.

Whether that was a good thing or not, Kenshin did not want to know. He instead made his exit quick deciding to himself that his making dinner was safer than either Kaoru or his master. 'Do all teachers of kenjutsu not know how to cook?' he wondered.

Kenshin sighed audibly as he started to prepare the stew that they were to eat. Something was different about Kaoru today. There was something in her eyes today that wasn't there before, but what was it? Kenshin shook his head this was just something he would just have to find out later, there were too many things on his mind now.

His visit with Okina today was less helpful than he had hoped for. This was a game of chess, and he was waiting for the next move, but the wait was excruciating. Kenshin stirred the vegetables in the pot trying to think of what to do next.

"Have you ever asked her?"

"Oro?" Kenshin looked up at his master confused by his question.

"Don't start with you're 'oroing' crap. Have you ever asked her what happened to her family?" Hiko looked at his idiot apprentice. 'Of course you haven't' he thought, 'You have been caught up in your on past to think about hers.'

"I erm- umm..." Kenshin looked at him perplexed, what more was there to know? Kaoru's father died in the war over a year ago, and her mother died of illness. What would she have that she was not telling him? She wouldn't keep something from him would she?

"That pretty much answers my question." Hiko said shaking his head, "Have you ever thought that the answer to all of this lies with her, maybe with her family."

Kenshin blinked "What do you know?" Then his eyes narrowed "You aren't telling me something master, what is it?"

Hiko only smiled in response.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru questioned as she stepped outside as well, "Is dinner ready yet?"

"No Miss Kaoru, soon though."

Kaoru raised her eyebrow, 'that was very un-Kenshin like.'

"It looks like dinner is going to need some sake!" Hiko said making his exit.

"You couldn't find out anything today Kenshin?" Kaoru asked trying to make conversation.

Kenshin shook his head dejectedly.

Kaoru sighed and nodded. "I'm sure something will happen, just give it time..."

"Time is one thing we don't have, who ever this is, is killing innocent lives."

Kaoru looked away, "I know." She had a distant look on her face. 'This is my fault...'

"Miss Kaoru?"

"It's nothing Kenshin, I was just thinking... Dinner looks great, just- just tell me when it's ready." Kaoru walked off towards the waterfall.

- - -

Kaoru sat down at the edge of the water looking at her reflection. 'Come on Kamiya, look at the bright side of things. It's a beautiful warm day you're not dead, and you are safe with Kenshin looking over you, what more could you ask for?'

"I can think of something." Kaoru muttered out loud.

"What would that be Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin smiled as he came to join her.

Kaoru blushed, she hadn't noticed that he had followed her. "It was nothing... I was just thinking about today."

Kenshin gave her his sweet rurouni smile, "What about today Miss Kaoru?"

"It's nothing really; I was just thinking of how peaceful today was for once." Kaoru smiled back at him.

'That smile... it's so sad like...' The voice in the back of his mind started to snicker. 'Go on say it, I know you want to,' said his battousai half.

"Miss Kaoru, what do you mean?" He asked escaping before his thoughts could battle.

Kaoru shook her head, "It's just that today is June third, I have never had much luck with this day." Kaoru smiled as she looked at their reflections in the water, "But it was just an ordinary day, and I am grateful."

"Miss Kaoru I-" 'go on say it you stupid rurouni get it over with' the battousai said exasperated by his hesitation.

"Yes Kenshin?" Kaoru looked at him in anticipation.

Kenshin smiled his rurouni smile once again. "Dinner is ready."

Kaoru's face faulted. "Alright Kenshin," She stood up and followed him silently to an awaiting Hiko.

"It's about time you got here!" Hiko said already eating his share of the stew.

Kaoru smiled politely before she began to eat as well, 'Hmm, it seems so calm today, I wonder if that is a good sign or not.' Kaoru thought as she began to eat her meal in silence.

"May I ask you a question?" Hiko directed to Kaoru snapping her back to reality.

Kaoru nodded looking at the older man in front at her, wondering what it could be that he wanted to ask her.

"Today, it's a special day for you is it not?"

'Master?!' Kenshin thought shooting Hiko a startled look, why was he pressing on something Kaoru obviously didn't seem to keen on talking about.

Kaoru smiled bitterly, "No more special than any other day."

"I think Miss Kamiya that you may be lying." Hiko smirked.

Kaoru chuckled darkly, "I think Mr. Hiko you seem to know more than what you let on, so maybe we should start with you, is this a special day for me?"

Kenshin blinked not sure how to react to the conversation between the young kendo teacher from Tokyo, and his old master. 'What's going on here?'

To be continued...

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A/N: I know I am leaving you hanging, but I promise to update sooner this time (and with the correct chapter) if I don't then you should know it's not because I gave up on this or any other story ::Coughlostcoughcough:: It's my senior year and I have stupidly decided to take a few AP Classes along with a new art club advisor who is an evil bitch (and I am being nice). 

So here is BC's sage advice: Never sign up to be the head of a club where the advisor has a personal vendetta against children.

Yahiko: Is she worse than busu?

BC: -.- seeing how Kaoru isn't that bad, I would have to say yes.


	11. chapter 11

Disclaimer: I am not Watsuki-san therefore I hold no ownership to the Rurouni Kenshin series.

A/N: Okay guys I need help, what is Kaoru's fathers real name? I know he has one... I just can't remember it... actually I know it's one of two and I just can't for the life of me spell one of them so can someone tell me what his name is? The person (or people) who can tell me gets a cookie!

* * *

Last time...

Kaoru chuckled darkly, "I think Mr. Hiko you seem to know more than what you let on, so maybe we should start with you, is this a special day for me?"

- - -

Hiko laughed at the clever girl in front of him. "It was nothing more than a simple question; there is no need for accusations."

Kaoru shook her head, this had been bugging her for a while, "Sir, I mean Hiko, I think you know something about my past that you are not saying aloud, I would like to know what that is?"

Hiko shook his head and looked seriously at the girl. "I think we both know what it is Miss Kamiya, I think we have known since before you first met my idiot apprentice."

Kaoru's gaze faltered for a moment and then she started to laugh darkly. "Yes I guess we have."

Kenshin blinked looking between the two. "Umm... excuse me, but what's going on here?!" He asked meekly, trying to understand the round about conversation.

Kaoru looked at him for a long moment. She had almost forgotten the rurouni's presence next to her. She looked at her feet 'Oh yeah... I almost forgot, Kenshin where do I begin...' she thought to herself.

"Maybe Miss Kamiya, you should explain from the beginning." Hiko suggested. It was almost like he read her mind, creepy...

"Heh, the beginning, which beginning would you like?" She knew the answer to this; it was obvious what the older man had meant. "Kenshin, you know nothing about my family," Kaoru stated this fact very bluntly. "But at the same time you know a lot about its history, you have lived by the very bases of which that teaching was built."

"Oro?" If there was a time that he was more confused than at this moment he would have truly died.

"My ancestor, My great, great some odd grandfather was named Seijuurou Hiko the first."

Kenshin blinked and looked between Kaoru and his teacher, and then he looked back again. What ever he was expecting her to say it wasn't this.

Kaoru took in his confused silence in and continued with her story. "You know the story of how he created Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu. You also know how the successors carry his name."

Kaoru took a deep breath; this was going to be one long story, 'Let's see how much I confuse him this time.' She thought before continuing. "Well what you don't know is that he had a son, one that did not learn his swordsmanship, but did have his own child who did, and he became Hiko 2nd." Kaoru sighed, waiting for their thought process to catch up with her explanation. Kenshin may be a very smart man, but that still didn't help the fact that this was a very unique situation he was dealing with.

"Hiko 2nd himself had a child, a daughter, who married a man by the name of Kamiya. This is where the story gets interesting, Kamiya had two children, one that learned and respected Hiten Mitsurugi and became the next Hiko, but this mans brother did not. The child who did not follow his forefathers created his own style of swordsman ship. He abused the power that Hiten Mitsurugi gives a person and he used it not to protect the weak, but for his own personal gains, and to oppress them."

"Does that make any sense to you my idiot apprentice?" Hiko asked to make sure Kenshin was still following the story.

"The descendant of the first Seijuurou Hiko betrayed the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi, and instead used it to give himself power." Kenshin looked at the girl. "But what does this have to do with today? And why didn't you tell me about any of this Miss Kaoru?"

"I will get to that in due time, but you need to understand this to know about today, and maybe this will give you some information on a few other things." Kaoru said sternly.

"Now back to the story," Kaoru said changing the subject before Kenshin could ask her what she meant. "The one who created this new style himself had children, and for four generations they all became corrupted just as he, except for one."

"Your father?" Kenshin asked, now it was getting easier to follow her story. It was like playing connect the dots, now he was starting to see the outlines of a picture.

"Yes, my father was blessed with a mother who told him that a person should protect the ones they love. Those words imbedded into my father's soul, he created Kamiya Kasshin-ryuu on that, Needless to say that his father and the rest of the family did not approve of this, they excommunicated my father from the family."

"What does this have to do with today?" Kenshin asked trying to think up possibilities.

"In time." Kaoru said simply.

"Oro?" Kenshin muttered, "What does this have to do with master?"

"Haven't you figured that out yet?" Hiko laughed, "Don't you see the parallels between Kamiya Kasshin-Ryuu and Hiten Mitsurugi? The basic principles are the same, to protect those who are too weak to protect themselves. You should know that every form of Kenjutsu is different, but the principles for these are the same." Kenshin blinked, "You idiot, Tetsurou Kamiya could learn his forefather's sword technique from one person."

"You..." Kenshin muttered, catching on again. "But he- I thought." And all these years Kenshin thought he was the only one Hiko had ever taught.

"My father was obviously much older than you Kenshin, actually he was older than Hiko but, let's not get in to that. My father like many men at the time fought in the Bakumatsu, my father wanted a new Japan. Just like you and many others he fought for a new future. He wanted a better future for his wife's children, for me. After he served in the war he came home and started His own Dojo. He created a style based on Katsujin-ken from what he had learned from Hiko, and many others. Kind of a melting pot of swordsmanship. Not long after he started the dojo his wife, my mother had me."

"Maybe you should tell him the significance of today, now that you are done with that longwinded story?" Hiko suggested as he brought out some tea, they might be here for a while, Kenshin had a lot to catch up on.

"Yes," She agreed, "Well Today, June 3rd , is my birthday, it is also the day I lost my whole family..."

To be continued...

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A/N: Well I finally updated! Tell me what you think of this chapter. Frankly I found this chapter boring, but that is just me. More explanations for Kenshin to come (poor rurouni) You didn't think I would leave it at that did you?


	12. chapter 12

Disclaimer: Yes I own Rurouni Kenshin ... Yeah right! I don't look anywhere close to Watsuki Nobuhiro! (and that's a good thing too) and I don't own the certain J-rocker who's name (well his first name) I stole for my story either ;.; kinda wish I did... who wouldn't want to own there own personal J-rocker? XD

A/N: I'm so sorry for such a long delay... I've been -really- sick lately... (and the piles of homework don't help much x.X;) Don't worry I promise I won't give up on one of my stories.

Thank you animegurl-23 You get a cookie! I couldn't for the life of me remember his name (I knew it was one of the two) so I just used one I read somewhere else ::doesn't remember where either::

* * *

Last time: 

"Maybe you should tell him the significance of today?" Hiko said noticing that Kaoru's story might be a little longwinded.

"Yes," She agreed, "Well Today, June 3rd, is my birthday; it is also the day I lost my whole family."

- - -

It wasn't a subject she liked to touch on. Her family, they were all dead to her, even the ones who where still alive. She hated the subject, there where to many tears attached to it. Every little secret she had kept, had revolved around this subject, and now was the time to divulge some of those secrets, even if she didn't want to.

**FLASHBACK**

June 3rd 1850

Kaoru, a vibrant six year old girl, started her training in Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu only the year before. People had been skeptical, a five year old girl practicing kendo arts? But they paid the villagers no mind and let the young child practice to her hearts content. Her father had even made her a special bokken to accommodate her size (the standard one was even bigger than she was).

The young girl with vibrant eyes walked up to her mother's shoji and knocked softly. "Mama?" She asked quietly incase her mother was still resting.

"It's alright Kaoru, I'm awake you can come in." Her mother smiled warmly inviting the little child in.

"How are you feeling today mama?" The little girl asked putting her mini bokken down on the ground outside the room.

"Just fine my child." Her mother stretched, the sun shining on the woman's frail face, years of illness had dug deeply into her beautiful features, but that didn't matter, she was still held a beauty that was unearthly. "Kaoru, it is a special day today, did you know that?"

Kaoru smiled, "Is it because it is my birthday?" the child sat on her mothers lap.

Her mother smiled and poked Kaoru on the nose affectionately, "That's right, and do you know what we do on your birthday?"

"A walk through the sakura grove?" the girl asked hopefully the glee shining in her eyes.

"Yes my dear," her mother laughed at the young girl's enjoyment in the simplest thing. "Go on outside now, I'll get ready and we can take our walk."

"Okay mama!" Young Kaoru bounded outside. It was her birthday, her favorite day, the one time her mother and her where able spend time together, just them, no matter what. Kaoru sat outside her feet dangling over the porch as she hummed a little song.

A dark shadow was cast over her and a dark voice uttered a single word. "Child," Kaoru looked up, it was her uncle, Kamiya Toshiya. ((A/N: Yes I got that name from Dir en Grey... XD)) He was looking down at the girl and her bokken with a cynical eye.

"You're father is teaching you the way of wooden swords?" the man said, not as surprised as one might think. "Well you are just a little girl after all." Toshiya laughed "Where is my weak brother anyway?"

Kaoru stared at the man, she had met her uncle before, but it had been a very long time, and this man, for a lack of a better word, was intimidating.

"Don't just stare, answer me child!" The man boomed.

"Koshijirou is teaching at the Mikawa dojo today Toshiya, maybe you should come back later when he is home." Kaoru's mother stood just behind her brother-in-law not looking the least bit intimidated. "Or you can tell me what it is you wish to tell him, and I promise I will let him know." Kaoru's mother looked at the much taller man as he glared at her insolent attitude.

"My business is with my brother, and my brother alone." The man said coolly "Maybe a woman of your condition should be in bed, it isn't safe to be out in the open air." Toshia said over his shoulder before walking out of the dojo once more.

"Mama, he scares me." Kaoru said burying her face into her mother's kimono, as the gate snapped shut.

"Me too my child, me too." Her mother said softly smoothing her hair down, staring at the dojo gate at which Toshiya just exited. "Come on little one let's go, I don't want to spoil your birthday!"

"Yay!" Kaoru let go of the kimono and latched herself onto her mothers hand this time.

"Kaoru do you know why we walk to this tree every year?" Her mother asked her as they stared at one of the largest and oldest of the trees in the grove.

Kaoru shook her head and listened to her mother. "Your father and I met under this tree. And he proposed to me under it as well."

Kaoru's eyes widened in childhood wonderment. "Really?"

"Yes, we-" her mothers words where cut short by a sudden fit of coughing.

"Mama?" Kaoru asked scared when her mother said nothing and fell to her knees, gasping and coughing more fiercely. "Mama?" She questioned again getting no response as the woman seemed to collapse at her daughter's feet.

"Mama?" Kaoru shook the sleeve of her mothers kimono but it was no use, her mothers eyes where closed she looked like she was asleep. "Mama?" Kaoru whispered fearfully, tears burning her eyes. "Mama? Come on wake up, we have to go... Mama, Daddy is gonna be home soon, he's gonna worry about us. Please Mama wake up."

Her mother didn't listen to her she just lay there as if she were sleeping. Kaoru shook her again trying to get her to wake up. She didn't leave her mothers side, soon the sun began to set and it became cold. Kaoru shivered and curled up at her mother's side not daring to leave her alone in this place.

She didn't know when they had started, but tears where falling from her eyes. 'Why wasn't Mama waking up?' she curled tighter into the kimono 'Please Mama, Daddy is gonna become worried,' She sniffled again 'You told me not to leave your side, mama please wake up.'

"What have you done?"

Kaoru's breath caught when she heard this voice, it was her uncle. She looked up at him there was something in his eyes was it disgust? Hatred for a child like her? These questions where unfathomable for her.

Toshiya knelt down next to her mother. "She's dead." He said under his breath. He looked at the little girl and grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"What happened? What did you do!?" He shook her and she started to cry, what did he mean she couldn't remember doing anything. She couldn't have been the cause of this could she?

"Stupid child answer me!" He shouted shaking her more fiercely. Kaoru's only response was a little whimper.

"Toshiya!" A booming voice said somewhere behind the man. "That is enough, my daughter did nothing and, you know it!" Koshijirou grabbed his daughter from the man's grasp, Kaoru buried her face into the crook of his neck. Tears kept falling, she was so confused, and why wasn't Mama waking up? Why did Uncle Toshiya ask her what she did? What did she do? It was too much for her, she felt so lost.

"What will you do now? Your dojo's technique will never be able to survive, you can't protect everyone. Father will forgive you if you just admit you are wrong." Toshiya said to him suddenly.

"This is not the time or place to discuss this; and there will never be a time for me to ask for penance to a man who is dead to me." Koshijirou said his voice dark, making Kaoru tremble even more.

"Think of what you are saying! Do you know the kind of enemy you are creating?" Toshiya yelled as Koshijirou carried his daughter away.

He stopped but did not turn to face Toshiya, "I accept my fate, as should you." Kaoru looked up at her father to see the grief in his eyes, it was something she never wanted to see from the man.

"I'm sorry daddy." Kaoru whispered clinging to her father, she didn't know what was happening, she had no idea that this conversation would be the beginning of the destruction of this child's family.

**END FLASHBACK**

"Hiko how much of this do you know?" Kaoru asked wondering what the Hiten Mitsurugi master knew.

"I know most of it..."

"So I guess it is true that you keep close tab's on your friends?" Kaoru smirked realizing the stories her father had told her were true.

"I thought you said that Kamiya Koshijirou was your student?"

"I did not train him in the art of swordsmanship, just the principles that his ancestors hoped his generation would learn." Hiko took a sip from his sake gourd "I thought you would have figured this out by now. If I had trained him do you think that either one of us would be alive? You my little idiot are the only person to ever defeat his master and not kill him, If I had trained Koshijirou Kamiya one of us would be dead right now and neither of you would be standing here."

Kenshin opened his mouth, but Kaoru interrupted. "Anyway... That wasn't the last time I would see Toshiya. There is one more piece to the story..."

**FLASHBACK**

June 3rd 1865

Years have rolled by since Kaoru's mother passed away, she was now 14 and recently dubbed the adjutant master of Kamiya Kasshin. June had rolled upon the Kamiya Dojo once again. A warm summer day, one that you would normally find people bounding around joyously could not be found here.

Tae and the Sekihara family had visited the young Kaoru with birthday tidings and a free meal from the Akabeko to celebrate this special occasion that was her birthday.

"Thank you for everything Tae but I will be fine, I have stayed in the dojo alone this long I promise you that I can handle it tonight." Kaoru assured her friend as she watched her walk away back towards her warm home and family. She smiled, happy that her friend was kind enough to offer the lone kendo instructor refuge in her home.

As soon as Kaoru closed the dojo gate, she slid to the dusty ground sighing sadly. It had been almost exactly a year since her father had left for the war. She had received a letter that morning wishing her a happy birthday. She pulled the letter from the sleeve of her kimono and read it to herself again, she words giving her comfort that he would soon return.

_Dearest Hime-chan_

_How are things at the dojo? Are you teaching those little boys a thing or two? I miss you deeply. You must have grown so much since I have been gone! They gave me my release papers the other day, I am to come home soon! I can't wait, though I believe in what we are here to do, it doesn't change the fact that I would rather be home, with you and the other students. But enough about that stuff! I am writing to wish you a happy birthday! You didn't think I would forget did you? My dear little Kaoru I thought you knew me better than that. I even got you something, go look in my in the bottom drawer there is something for you there!_

_Love always _

_-Dad_.

Of course the first thing you would think Kaoru to do was run into her fathers room and tear his dresser apart to see what he had gotten her. But Kaoru didn't, she promised herself that she would open it that night, after the sun had set. It was a tradition that she would keep.

Kaoru stood up from the gate when it almost instantly opened a shadowed figure stood there in the mid-afternoon light.

"Where is my hypocritical brother?" The figure demanded upon entering.

"Toshiya." The girl breathed remembering that voice, it still haunted her to this day.

"Answer me girl where is he?"

"My father, is serving in the war, which you would have known if you and the rest of your family hadn't abandoned us." Kaoru said haughtily, she had no love for her father's family, to her they were cruel people who did nothing more than abused power.

"Abandon you? Your father abandoned us when he married that woman who corrupted his morals!"

Kaoru clenched her fists it was one thing to talk about her father when he was away at war, but to talk about her dead mother? She wasn't about to stand for it.

"My mother did no such thing, I think you know as well as I do that it was _your_ mother who actually _gave_ my father some morals." Kaoru got an evil glint in her eye "Obviously you had your head to far up your ass to pay attention when she tried to teach you." she said it under her breath but the man heard her nonetheless.

"Just because my mother encouraged him to live by his thoughts, does not mean she corrupted him. If there is any corrupt person her it is you sir. You with your twisted ideals of oppressing those weaker than you, don't you dare think I am so much a child that I don't know what happenings occur in your families lives. I can only thank Kami that I have no part of it!" Kaoru's face had turned an interesting shade of pink as she became more and more furious. When pushed, this fifteen-year-old can seem three times her age.

"Then you are weak child, and naive by the sounds of it." The man glared at her, his presence seemed to fill the entire dojo. "You have no idea what I stand for child, maybe if you were to spend time with your family you would know-"

"I would never degrade my morals so low as to follow their crooked path." Kaoru wasn't about to back away from her father's teachings, not now, not ever.

"Why you insolent little-"

"Excuse me?" Interrupted a deep voice from the gate, "Kamiya Kaoru?"

"Yes," Kaoru sidestepped away from Toshiya, glad to get away from the confrintation "I am Kamiya Kaoru."

"I'm sorry ma'am but I bring news of your father..." The man didn't have to finish his sentence she knew what would follow, it's what anyone who's loved one went to fight dreaded to hear. "...Miss Kamiya? Did you hear me, I said that your father Kamiya Koshijirou has passed away, he's dead ma'am."

Kaoru's face was blank, it was like reliving her mother's death over again, except this time her father wasn't there to comfort her. He was the one who death had called upon this time. The messenger said something else but she didn't care, there wasn't anything to care about anymore.

"Th-thank you sir..." Kaoru finally said her voice sounded broken and distant, she closed the gate behind him. She turned to face the last person she wanted to see at that moment.

"Dead is he?" Toshiya said sounding unnerved by the information.

"Why did you call upon my father?" Kaoru asked her whole body trembling, "And don't you lie to me, I want to know what would bring you to go against your family's little excommunication, and to my front door?"

"A promise, one that obviously won't be seen now." Toshiya said looking down at the broken girl in front of him.

"What kind of promise?" Kaoru said looking the man straight in the eye daring him to deny her.

"It doesn't matter, it was only a small promise one I didn't expect to be kept in the first place. I see that I have over stayed my welcome, I will leave you to grieve now child." Toshiya turned to leave but just as he opened the gate he had one last thing to say, "Don't be so quick to judge others, just because you know your family don't assume you know me."

And with that Kamiya Toshiya left, Kaoru stared at the closed gate dazed, her family, her means of existence was gone, and there was no way of resurrecting them. Her uncle left her with more questions than answers once again. Kaoru turned to look at the dojo, it seemed so much bigger now. The breeze picked up blowing something onto her stomach, she looked down expecting to find a stray leaf, but noticed it was the letter she had received from her father that morning. Fate was a cruel puppeteer and she seemed to favor pulling on Kaoru's strings on this day.

Kaoru looked up to see the setting sun. 'Are you trying to tell me something?' She wondered as she silently made her way to her father's room. It brought back so many memories. 'But those are just memories, they aren't going to bring anyone back...' a low rumble was heard in the distance as a storm made itself present off in the distance. Kaoru shivered at the sound, before she bent to her knees and opened the bottom drawer of her father's dresser. Inside she found another letter on top of a package.

_Hime-chan_

_It's your fourteenth birthday, I am so proud of you, I know I am not here in person to tell you this and I know a letter doesn't make up for it so a million apologies my dear. Happy Birthday Kaoru, I know this isn't your favorite day, and with reason. But it is still your day. The gift, I know you are dying to open it. But I want to tell you first, the small gift within the bigger one, it was your mothers, and now I think you are ready for it to be yours. You will be a fine woman someday my hime-chan, and not that you need telling but I will always love you, no matter what, that will never change. Happy Birthday, my dearest Kaoru._

_-Dad _

Kaoru's throat was dry, the letter sent chills up and down her spine as she read it. Her hands were shaking as she grabbed the package in anticipation for what it held. It was her father's final gift; no matter what it was she would cherish it forever.

Kaoru carefully untied the package, as the brown paper fell away to reveal a silk indigo ribbon wrapped around a small leather bound book. She opened the book but looked down when something small fell into her lap making the girl gasp.

"Oh my-" She stared at it, a small silver ring engraved with small knots twisted around the ring in a never ending circle. Kaoru knew this ring, she had heard her father speak of it, it was the ring he had given her mother when he professed his love to her.

The full weight of it all hit her in that moment. She was alone, her father and mother were both dead. All that was left were these relics. She was abandoned by the only family she had left. Not to mention she now was the singular owner of a large dojo, and she was barely fifteen.

**END FLASHBACK**

A silence fell over the mountain again as Kaoru finished her story. Whatever Kenshin had expected of her childhood, this certainly wasn't it. When he first met her he would have thought her life before him, was filled with nothing but happiness, laughter and joy. Her innocent eyes had certainly deceived him, and let him settle into a very comfortable lie.

"Excuse me..." Kaoru said suddenly walking away quickly.

Kenshin stood to follow her.

"I don't think so..." Hiko grabbed him by the collar of his gi and pulled the poor rurouni back. "Leave her be, you know very well that you would want to be left alone if it were you."

Kenshin nodded somberly, and stared off in the direction that she had left, he really didn't like the fact that she was all alone, and it was starting to get dark.

"She told you some things that will be quite useful, what are you going to do with your new knowledge?" Hiko asked quirking an eyebrow as he watched his apprentices response.

Kenshin looked at his master for a moment before it dawned on him what Hiko had meant. "I have an idea..."

To be continued...

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A/N: EEE!!! Hey Spring of Trivia is on tonight!!! and only two more days until RK is on D (I'm just a tad bit hyper) 

I would just like to say that this has to be the hardest time I have had on writing a chapter for this story yet... but now that this chapter is done the real fun is about to begin mwahahahahahahaha!!!

Until next time ::Waves::


	13. chapter 13

Disclaimer: Don't own, Don't sue!

A/N: If you would like to know about my updates, and why I seem to take a hiatus once and a while, please see my bio, I try to update it whenever something happens. (I also update it with every chapter upload lol)

Anyone else notice that I have a lot of flashbacks in this story? And this one probably isn't the last either XDD

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You all get a cookie D

* * *

Kaoru sat on the bank of the water staring down at her reflection. 'This is the first time I have looked at myself since...' She cringed at the thought, the word 'Hokkaido' had become a curse word in her mind now. 

"Mother, Father?" she whispered looking up at the stars "Are you watching me now? I'm sorry, I wasn't strong enough, I gave up to easily."

FLASHBACK

**Hokkaido a few months earlier**:

"I will ask you one more time." A rodent faced man spat as he looked at a very worn down Kaoru, "Who has been ordering these assassinations?"

Kaoru stayed silent. Glaring at the man wishing she could do something.

"You won't say? Fine," He turned to the man in the shadows, "Thirty lashes, and don't go easy on her, a killer like that deserves no sympathy..."

"WAIT!" Kaoru yelled, desperate not to repeat that again, and she knew what 'don't go easy' usually entailed. This wasn't the first time she was being interrogated (if you could call it that); in fact this wasn't the first time that day. "I..." she stuttered part of her not believing what she was about to say. "It was me."

"What!" The man grabbed her wrist which was already bruised from hours of being held by a shackle.

Kaoru flinched, and felt tears of pain sting her eyes, 'Crying is for the weak' she said to her self as she fought to keep them back. "I did it, y-your government... it sickens me." She was still in shock over her own words, "I couldn't sit by and do nothing, while I watched selfish government pigs destroyed our economy, our morals. I brought justice into my own hands and served it as I saw fit."

"Is that a confession?" The man twisted her wrist to get an answer out of her.

Kaoru showed no reaction to the pain, she wouldn't allow him the pleasure of it.

"Is that a confession?" The man asked again making every syllable clear.

"Yes." The words where a death sentence, but at that moment death looked very friendly to her. Kaoru was tired, and sleeping forever seemed very comforting.

"Alert the firing squad, we will have an execution in the morning." And with that Kaoru was thrown back into her cold little jail cell.

-o-

As she sat in the shadows she realized what Saitou had told her earlier, 'there is a cliff...' "I guess it won't hurt to try," She started to chuckle darkly, "What's the worst that could happen, death?"

END FLASHBACK

'Who would have known that Saitou would be useful?' She thought bitterly.

"I wanted to die," She told the stars, "To give up... I wasn't as strong as you thought." Kaoru sighed, the knowledge of betraying her dearly departed father's faith in her was a bigger burden than she ever thought she could carry. She closed her eyes, letting the sound of the water hitting the pebbly shore calm her thoughts.

-o-

"She told you some things that will be quite useful, what are you going to do with your new knowledge?" Hiko asked quirking an eyebrow as he watched his apprentices response.

Kenshin looked at his master for a moment before it dawned on him what Hiko had meant. "I have an idea."

"Do you now?" Hiko said with mock interest, "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain group of spies that you already have working for you at this very moment?"

"And if it does?"

"I would say that, that might be a good idea, you never know what you may find."

"You know something."

"No, I don't, I know nothing more than you do," Hiko smiled slyly, "Except, maybe you should be with the woman you love."

"Oro!" Kenshin's face turned the same shade as his hair, "Master!" Kenshin stalked off nonetheless.

'Pathetic as ever.' Whether he was talking about his pupil, or everything else, was only for Hiko to truly know.

-o-

There she was, just sitting there near the edge of the water, she looked so peaceful there. Pity he couldn't read her thoughts, her face might have read more than their shallow depths.

"Did you need something Kenshin?" Amazing how she could tell it was him even though she had no way of reading ki.

"No..." The response seemed to linger on his lips as he just stared at her as the waters reflection played across her pail face.

"You can sit down, I promise I won't bite." Her tone albeit joking, seemed to hold a small bit of sadness within it.

"What were you thinking of?" He knew it wasn't his place to ask, but the question seemed to slip.

Kaoru looked at him and smiled, "My father." It wasn't a lie, she was thinking of him, sure she was thinking of other things as well, but her father never left her thoughts.

Kenshin sat next to her not pressing her for any forced conversation.

"Actually..." she said scarcely above a whisper. "I was thinking about Hokkaido... and I can't think of a single way to apologize to him for it."

"Why would you need to apologize?" Here he went crossing those lines again; he had promised himself not to do that. She never inquired upon him, why did he find it right to inquire upon her?

"I broke a promise to him, I've never done that before." She never once looked at Kenshin, she just kept her eyes closed. "It was one of only three things he had ever asked of me, and I couldn't do it. So tell me what can I say? I don't think 'I'm sorry' works on the dead."

'...That it doesn't' Kenshin thought as he just stared at her. "There is nothing I can say, because truthfully Miss Kaoru, it is for you to decide what to do." Kenshin looked down at the water. "Can I ask what it was?"

"I gave up. I had lost hope in nearly everything." She opened her eyes and looked at the stars above them.

"But you didn't really give up, if you had you wouldn't be here now."

Kaoru smirked, "Maybe..." 'If it weren't for Saitou I defiantly wouldn't be here, and maybe one day I can tell you that. Though... you might not believe it.' "Kenshin?"

"Yes"

"Why were you really in Hokkaido?"

Wow that was a quick subject change, "What do you mean Miss Kaoru?"

"I knew even before you left that the reason you had left wasn't just to visit some 'ill friend.' What was the real reason Kenshin?"

'Am I that transparent?' Kenshin wondered trying to figure out how she had come upon this knowledge. "No, visiting Shuichi wasn't the only reason I had for being in Hokkaido, but it did make for a nice alibi."

"You're avoiding my question, Kenshin."

'Yes I am.' Kenshin thought soundly, "Eh heh..."

"Kenshin... you're stalling." Kaoru glared at the man, 'don't be a baka.'

"Oro?" When in doubt of answering a difficult question... play stupid.

"Kenshin." Her tone dripped with warning.

"I'm sorry Miss Kaoru, but I cannot tell you, that I cannot."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. 'I will find out,' she thought to herself; absently she wondered of Saitou had anything to do with this too.

'Uh-oh she's got that plotting look... distract her from her thoughts... but how?' Kenshin looked up at the stars, "It's getting late I think we should go back to master that we should." Kaoru was still staring off thinking of ways to make the man talk. "Are you alright Kaoru?" Kenshin's proverbial eyes widened 'Oro!' his mind screeched, 'Miss...Miss Kaoru... I forgot to say miss!' the rurouni half of him was freaking out as a darker half in the back of his mind could be heard snickering at the mans panicked mental state.

'Kaoru?' that snapped her back to reality, 'Did he just say Kaoru?' She just stared at him trying to figure out what she had just heard.

"Miss Kaoru?" He asked again hoping it would snap her out of whatever shock she was in.

'Damn there's that Miss again.' Kaoru sighed and shook her head. She followed the baka rurouni out of the grove of trees.

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: Some action to come up in the next couple chapters:Jumps up and down: I have been waiting to write it and I can't wait to finally be able to! I know this may seem a little slow, but the plot should be picking up soon D 


	14. chapter 14

Disclaimer: A dream is a wish the heart makes, and I can only dream about owning rk.

A/N: Again I offer my sincerest apologies for being horrible on my updates, but to tell you the truth my life has been revolving around my A.P.and core classes... and I am freaking out about my college apps ( I know it seems late but these are for culinary and tech schools). But on the plus side spring break is a few weeks away and I can have free time to write.

Hiko is a scary crazy man, as I will now try to prove XDDD have fun reading this!

* * *

The late morning sun blazed through the mountains, waking up a sleepy little kendo instructor. Grumbling she forced herself to rise, some part of her knew Kenshin had left earlier, she half remembered him saying something to her when she was still in lala land. Kaoru wasn't sure but she thought she may have grumbled some kind of acknowledgment to whatever he said. Knowing him it was probably something overprotective and rurouni-ish. 

"Well, well it looks like the little Tokyo Kamiya has decided to wake up." Hiko said amused as Kaoru finally made herself present.

"You aren't going to pick on me are you?" she asked stifling a yawn.

"No, no" Hiko shook his head still smiling, "I will, however, tell you embarrassing stories about my idiot apprentice, and pick on him behind his back. What better way to pass the time ne?"

"Sounds like a very good idea to me," Kaoru's smile broadened.

"Have you heard about the time that he got drunk and nearly burned down my hut?"

"No I haven't," Kaoru laughed, this information could come in handy someday.

"Well, it all started when I made him go into the local village and get me some sake..." Hiko stopped as his eyes shot around the wooded area. "We're being watched," His voice dropped a few levels as he grabbed his sword, "Do not move from my sight unless I tell you to, do you understand?"

Kaoru nodded standing up, staying a few feet away from Hiko.

"I know you are hiding, come out on your own or I will come and find you." Truthfully the latter sounded like more fun, but with Kaoru there he didn't want to risk it.

"All we want is the girl, she is the suspect in a homicides." Said a rat faced officer, as he came out from hiding.

Kaoru's stomach churned, he was one of the men from Hokkaido, she shuddered looking at him, they had finally found her.

"Well I just can't allow that." Hiko smiled, this was no challenge, he could beat them without stretching.

"Pity," The rodent man signaled and thirty officers came out all brandishing swords or guns.

Hiko glared, it was easy enough to protect a person from thirty flying swords... but guns, that was a different story. Hiko backed up a pace, "When I tell you, run down the mountain don't stop until make it into the city, you will be safer there."

Kaoru looked up at him, was he saying what she thought he was? Can you say: from the frying pan into the fire? She gulped down her fear and nodded her understanding.

"Run."

"AFTER HER!" rodent man squealed. ((A/N: I like that name! I think I am gonna name my new gerbil that XD))

"I don't think so," in a blink of an eye Hiko had half of the men sprawled on the ground, sure half of them were running after Kaoru now, but that was half the fun. It was now time to play the predator. He stalked after them with speed blessed by kami.

"Run, run as fast as you can..." Hiko laughed, he hadn't had this much fun since the time he made his idiot apprentice run around the forest blindfolded making the baka find him. Ah the memories...

With in moments he had all of his lack-luster attackers unconscious and tied up, none of them ever made it close to catching Kaoru.

0-0-0

Kaoru flew down the mountain like a bat out of hell, not daring to look back she kept running praying that she wouldn't trip. She swore she heard some of them chasing after her, but none caught up. 'Maybe Hiko had caught them...' she wondered as she saw the first signs of civilization in the distance. She only slowed down when her heart began to tear at her ribcage, threatening to jump out if it could. She walked at a normal pace now, her legs feeling like jelly. The amount of people on the road was enough that she could easily blend in and disappear if she wished.

What would she do now? She couldn't go back to the mountain top, that was just pure suicide. The Aoiya was probably still under surveillance, and who knew where the hell Kenshin was, probably at the Aoiya himself, but Kaoru, not being able to go there tried to think up a different option. Where could she go? Kyoto was teeming with police, most of them looking for her.

"Looks like the raccoon has been chased off her mountain."

"What the hell do you want?" Kaoru asked haughtily as the putrid scent of smoke filled her nostrils.

"Making sure you don't get caught." Mibu wolves could be so annoying.

"Then why weren't you on the damn mountain?"

"I can't be everywhere." Saitou stamped out his cigarette, "Where will you go now?"

Kaoru glared at him for a moment, "Well... since you are so keen on making sure I don't get caught..."

"Don't push your luck."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"That you go pray," Saitou nodded towards a Shinto shrine before walking off.

"What?" Pray? Had Saitou completely lost his mind? At a loss to do anything else she walked to the temple that the wolf had motioned towards.

There is always something about a shrine that is so calming, maybe it was the security. It really didn't matter to Kaoru as she walked up the many steps towards the shrine. The overpowering scent of the incense was already working like a drug, and she wasn't even inside yet.

"Miss Kamiya."

"Hn?" She responded, that voice sounded awfully familiar. She turned in the direction of the voice only to see the stoic Oniwabanshu Shinimori Aoshi. "Aoshi..." She said snapping out of her incense induced daze "I am surprised to see you here."

"Likewise Miss Kamiya," He looked around the Shrine, "Where is battousai?"

"Probably at the Inn, I came here to erm hide..." her voice faltered.

"Ah." Not one for small talk he tried to cut the conversation short, "This shrine is perfect for one seeking refuge, no police are permitted to arrest anyone here. I suggest you stay here until you hear otherwise. I can talk to the priest here if you wish?" He added seeing her unease, why he was helping her was a complete mystery, but part of him was convinced that his karma would come back to haunt him three fold if he did nothing.

Kaoru nodded, staying at a shrine wouldn't be so bad, at least not for now.

0-0-0

Kenshin sighed as he walked up the mountainside, they had found nothing. He wished he could say 'there is always tomorrow,' but he didn't have many tomorrows to count on. Stopping a moment he noticed that the wilds seemed too quiet, and too calm. Fearing some horrible fate he sprinted the rest of the way.

He could sense the presence of many people but he couldn't find Kaoru's ki, it should have stuck out, panicking he looked around blind to everything else.

"I'm over here idiot." Hiko called from a tree in which he had what looked like thirty or so men tied up.

"M-master?" Not exactly the person he was looking for, but he would do.

"These fine men thought that they would ambush me and the young lady while we were distracted." Hiko motioned to the men who were all scared out of their wits.

"Where is Miss Kaoru." It was more of a demand than a question.

"She is probably in Kyoto by now; did she not turn up at the Aoiya or whatever you call that Oniwabanshuu headquarters?" Hiko questioned.

"No."

"Not surprising, she is a smart girl." Hiko smiled proudly, "Well I suggest you find her before night falls."

Kenshin didn't need the man to say more, he made his way back down the mountain and towards the city.

"Hopeless. Completely hopeless." Hiko muttered before turning back to the men tied to the tree. "Now I'm gonna ask you one more time, who do you really work for?"

0-0-0

Kaoru had contended herself with sleeping in the back of the shrine, it was comfortable, the head priest had let her in after speaking with Aoshi. She had a humble meal of rice and fish, she hadn't expected more than that anyway (it was a shrine after all). The shrines silence -with the exception of the drawl of the prayers in the background- was calming. The sound of the prayer seemed almost like a lullaby and soon she was in the world of her dreams, quite content on the thoughtless oblivion it offered for once.

0-0-0

It must have been a record, no one had ever made it down the mountain and back to the city as fast as Kenshin had (but how many other people had god like speed?). Dusk had barely fallen and he was already halfway to the Aoiya. His only hope was that Kaoru was there as well. To bad Kenshin had the worst luck that anyone in Japan had ever been 'blessed' with.

"Kenshin what are you doing back here?" Misao asked taken back by his sudden reappearance at the inn it was bad enough that he had spent most of the day berating them with questions and new ideas, now he was back again?

"Is Kaoru here?"

Misao blinked, "No" she said cautiously, "Why would she be, shouldn't she be in the mountains?"

"She's not here?" He grabbed the young ninja's shoulders looking her straight in the eye.

"No s-she's not here." Misao stumbled over the words. The look he gave her was terrifying, he looked like all of his composure had just leapt out the window.

"Battousai," A frozen voice echoed from behind the shadows, "Miss Kamiya is fine, you can bring her here in the morning, but she is most likely asleep at the moment."

Kenshin swiftly turned towards the man who spoke.

"Where is she?" He finally asked after a moment of silence.

"She is safe, and that is all you need to know right now."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kenshin asked incredulously.

"That the city has ears," Aoshi replied cryptically, "And some need not hear more than they deserve." Aoshi glared at nothing before turning to leave.

"You expect me to just sit here, when I have no idea where Kaoru is?" This was just unacceptable!

"No." Aoshi said stopping, "I am only advising you to do it, unless you want to bring us all more trouble than is needed."

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: I know Aoshi at a Shinto shrine? It makes no sense the man is a Buddhist! But don't worry it will work out I promise. D 


	15. chapter 15

Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue.

A/N: Yay I suck at updating my stories! I had writers block up until last night so please forgive this unworthy one ;.; and I am sorry for all of the grammatical errors, I am posting this on the run.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Kaoru was teaching at the Maekawa dojo again. After the Raijuta incident Kenshin usually accompanied Kaoru and Yahiko, but today there was so much to be done around the house! He went against his better judgment, and stayed to do the much needed repair on the dojo's roof. (a/n: you thought I was going to have him do laundry didn't you?)

"Battousai."

Good kami, didn't Saitou ever actually work? The mibu wolf was standing on the ground staring at the rurouni as he hammered away, finishing up the last patch on the roof before he replaced the ceramic tile.

"How may I help you Saitou?" Kenshin jumped off the roof gracefully, and faced the wolf keeping up his rurouni mask, even in front of Saitou. He had less of a chance of getting a headache this way.

"My job is not to be your message boy, but here I am." He threw the letter at the redhead and lit a cigarette taking a particularly deep drawl.

"Now why exactly are you asking me to do this?" Kenshin folded the letter up after carefully going over the contents.

"Because anyone else would look suspicious."

The only reply the wolf got was a skeptical stare.

"The police are apt to think that you are around to just be a martyr or what ever you picture your self as. Every officer in the country knows that. If they see you around they will think that there is something else going on."

Yet again nothing but a skeptical look. "And what would be said to Miss Kaoru, you know that she won't let me do this."

"You ahou, she has you whipped doesn't she?"

No oroing, just a twitch of an eyebrow.

Saitou took another inhale from his cigarette, "You would be paid a substantial amount of course, enough to buy a ring for the raccoon." Saitou almost smirked at the very perturbed and half frightened look he got from the ex-hitokiri. Ah... this was almost as good as trying to stick him with his sword, almost.

"What exactly are you implying?" Kenshin was very offended by this, "You are not the type to meddle in other's personal lives."

"When it affects my personal life I do. My wife has taken a liking to the raccoon and they have spent enough time talking about you to make me sick. Propose or whatever you plan to do so I can have at least one night of peace."

Well this was a new side to the wolf. "I'll think about it."

"You leave in a week."

**END FLASHBACK **

Funny how long ago that seemed. Soon after his visit from Saitou, Kenshin had gotten a letter from Shuichi; the man was calling in a favor. He and his wife had been stationed in Hokkaido to do the same thing as Kenshin. But he didn't find that part out until much later.

0-0-0

The sun shone brightly through the window of the room Kaoru slept in. Moaning softly she turned over to block out the burning rays.

"Miss Kamiya?"

'Ah the priest...' She thought hazily. She blinked a few times until the old man came into focus. His long silver hair still held black streaks that showed hints of what his mane used to look like. Though his smile was kind, his eyes were not glistening with the blatant innocent kindness one would expect to see from a priest, no. His eyes did show kindness but on a different level, one that seemed to be tainted with something else; was it regret? He looked familiar, she had noticed it when she first set eyes on him, but she didn't know from where.

"I'm sorry, did I sleep in too late?" Kaoru asked stifling a yawn.

"No, no." The priest laughed, "It's just that the young girls are practicing their miko dances, they are only seven or so, and heard that a guest was here, and they wanted an audience."

Kaoru giggled, she loved children, at one point she wanted her own, but now? Something had changed in her these last few months, she was afraid to bring a child into this world now. She didn't even know if she could promise them happiness, or protection anymore. But what she wouldn't give to have a bundle of warmth in her arms.

"I put out some clean clothing and some miso soup, please join us in the main shrine when you are ready."

Kaoru bowed politely after grabbing the package that held her clothes from the priest. Opening the brown wrapping she looked at the outfit and her face dropped a few degrees. _A miko outfit_? Kaoru tried to imagine herself in the red hakama, and white gi. This was so much different from her training clothes. Sighing in defeat she stripped from her dirt caked clothes and into the clean and comfortable outfit. (a/n: ten to one says she looks a lot like kikyo, or kagome...)

0-0-0

Stepping into the main shrine the sound of a koto greeted her, as well as the sight of seven little girls dancing to it. Kaoru wasn't sure which dance they were doing. Kaoru wasn't one to visit her shrine often.

When the girls noticed her they all stopped and ran up to the girl asking her if she was a new miko. Kaoru did fit the part very easily, at least with the clothes she was wearing.

"No, I am just a guest here, and the priest told me that you were dancing today." She flashed the children one of her nicest smiles, "Is it alright if I watch you practice?"

All of the small girls beamed at Kaoru, elated that someone was there to see them performing the dance that they would do during the next festival at the shrine.

0-0-0

Kenshin walked down for breakfast with the Oniwabanshu. All residents of the Aoiya were present except Sanosuke and Yahiko. The first probably still sleeping off the sake he most likely consumed the previous night, and the other was just lazy.

"Good morning Himura!" It should be a crime for some one to be so hyper this early in the morning.

"Good morning Miss Misao."

"Hey Himura, are you going to get Kaoru?" Misao asked. She wanted to see her friend almost as much as Kenshin did.

"No he is not." Aoshi's voice cut through the conversation like a sword.

"And why not?" Misao was not one to take an angry tone with her lord Aoshi, and it surprised everyone.

"Because the police that are causing all of this trouble are watching his every move," Aoshi said simply, "How do you think Miss Kamiya was ambushed in the first place?"

"Don't blame Kenshin for that!" Yahiko had walked in the room early enough to hear Aoshi's point of view. "If it weren't for Kenshin, Kaoru wouldn't have even made it this far."

Aoshi had to fight with himself not to roll his eyes, and succeeded. "Don't worry Battousai, when the time is right Miss Kamiya will be retrieved." Kenshin opened his mouth to protest but Aoshi continued. "That is how it is going to be whether you like it or not."

"Lord Aoshi!" Misao exclaimed taken back by his reply. "You can't be serious, can you?"

"Does the rock ever joke?" Yahiko mumbled taking a bite of his onigiri.

0-0-0

"That was very good!" Kaoru beamed at the children after they were done for the day.

"Thank you!" the little girls chimed in unison as they left the temple.

"Children are the greatest gift that the heavens have ever sent to us." The priest said as he watched Kaoru's innocent joy from watching the little girls play as they walked down the street.

"They are, aren't they?" Kaoru responded feeling her biological clock tick away and her heart drop. She smiled as she turned towards the priest, "Is there anything I can do around the temple? You are letting me stay here on nothing more than your good will and I feel..."

The priest held up a hand to silence her, "Alright child, how about sweeping? And if that isn't sufficient enough for you, you can clean the wood floors too."

Kaoru smiled, "I'll start with the floors." She walked off to get a bucket and water.

'Same as always...' the priest smiled to himself as he went to pray.

0-0-0

Kaoru had finished scrubbing the floors and was now in the process of sweeping the temple grounds. 'That priest, he looked so familiar... it's starting to _really_ bother me.'

"Looks like you're not as stupid as you look." Just what she needed, more confusion from the great Saitou Hajimie. Kaoru mentally rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for the suggestion," She said offhandedly, "I never would have thought of being harbored in a temple."

"I never suggested anything, I just told you to go and pray, you are the one who took it upon yourself to hide here."

"Right..." Kaoru replied disbelievingly, "So mind telling me why you're here? Or are you going to give me an ominous warning again?"

"Big word for such a pea brained raccoon." Saitou said, lighting up a cigarette, the man was defiantly a chain smoker. "I came here to tell you that you should go to the Aoiya as soon as you get the chance; you are too vulnerable here." Saitou seemed to look around the temple grounds as if he expected a monster to pop out of the bushes.

"Ah so you did come here to warn me... Are you ever going to tell me what the hell you are doing? And why exactly am I caught up in this anyway?"

"The less you know the better."

"Stop treating me like a child." Kaoru stamped her foot in emphasis, "I am getting really tired of being lead around like some friggen dog!"

"Temper, temper." Saitou stamped out his cigarette; "I will be back here tomorrow night, expect to leave then."

"Wait a second you are actually going to _help_ me?"

"I have said it before, as much as I dislike the idea, you are very valuable to my operation, it will do neither of us any good if you are dead."

"Says you," Kaoru mumbled under her breath.

Saitou snorted, "Now what would your precious battousai say if he heard you speak like that?"

"And you care because...?"

"I don't." Saitou lit up yet another cigarette. "Meet me in the main temple tomorrow night." And with that Saitou turned on his heel to leave.

"Wait!" Kaoru called to his retreating figure. "There are police swarming the Aoiya how do you expect me to get past them."

"Leave that up to me."

'Oh that makes me feel _so_ comfortable.'

0-0-0

He was walking back from the shopping district when the smell of a cigarette caught his attention.

"Things went well in talking to Miss Kamiya I presume?" Aoshi wasn't really surprised to see the Mibu Wolf leaning oh so nonchalantly against the sakura tree.

"I will be dropping her off tomorrow night, I assume you know what to do."

"Yes."

To be continued...

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A/N: Any guesses on who the priest is? Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Until the next chapter :waves: 


	16. chapter 16

A/N: I am so sorry I didn't update this last Thursday like I planned... but I'll be frank, this was a horrible week, another one of my teachers died Wednesday and I couldn't bring myself to updating this (or demon).

I am sorry that I have been lax on updates for this story, but it's hard when you have little time and are losing ideas. (But I do have the ending written out... it's just writing the stuff in between)

**Tameka-tanuki-jouchan** - You were right, it has become more of a mystery story hasn't it? You know that isn't how this story was supposed to go, but recently it has turned out that way Lol. thank you for your input!

* * *

Kaoru was pacing in the shrine, what did Saitou have planned? She was almost afraid to find out. It was inevitable, tonight, whatever plan the wolf had would be seen through, whether she liked it or not.

"Ma'am?" It was the priest, he was standing at the door, waiting for her to acknowledge him.

"Oh!" Kaoru exclaimed finally noticing the old man, "I'm sorry..." She stopped for a moment and laughed at herself, "You know, I don't know your name."

The priest gave her a geniel smile, "I lost my name."

"You lost your name?" she gave him an incredulous look.

"My name will stay in my past, where it belongs. You may call me Kai if you wish to call me by any name." The old man noticed her eyes widen, "I have always liked the ocean, it shows so much power, but at the same time it is so peaceful."

"Yes it is isn't it?" Kaoru smiled softly looking at the old man, she still couldn't shake the fact that he looked so familiar. "I know that this question seems out of place but; do I know you?"

The priest chuckled lightly, "Perhaps in another life, but in this one, I would say that now is the only time we have met."

Kaoru nodded, "Did you need something? You seemed to have an agenda."

"No Ma'am, I was just coming to check on you," The priest called Kai said in earnest. "You seem a little off since you spoke with that police officer."

"You saw him did you?" Kaoru's cheeks colored embarrassed that she had let the wolf bother her.

"It's kind of hard to miss that man." It may have just been Kaoru's imagination but she had thought the priest's voice had taken a chilling overtone.

"It is isn't it?" Kaoru laughed to shake off the frozen feeling.

"You look like one who has been through a lot, may I give you some advice?"

Kaoru nodded, she was always open to what people had to say.

"I may be an old codger but trust me, I have been around. Appearances are deceiving. Whatever it is you are running from is not what it seems. I hope you will not find out the hard way. But that is how it is, keep an eye open, stay vigilant, it is all we have left."

"We?"

"Yes, there is someone else out there who is depending on you as well," I believe. "So don't get caught in their trap."

"What?"

The old priest smiled, "Just trust me child."

0-0-0

Aoshi was mere inches from putting his part of the plan in action. All he had to do now was wait for Kenshin to join him for tea.

"You asked for me Aoshi?" Kenshin stepped into the room and sat across from the man.

"I thought we could share a cup of tea." Aoshi motioned to the steaming teacup in front of Kenshin. "Kamiya will be brought here tonight." Aoshi said lightly as he watched Kenshin pick up the steaming cup and take a sip.

"Tonight? Why didn't I know of this earlier?" He took another gulp, the tea tasted different than the stoic mans usual brew, but he paid it no mind.

"You will know soon enough." Aoshi filled up Kenshin's already empty cup, "How do you feel?"

"Oro?" Now that Aoshi mentioned it, he was feeling a bit fatigued; but what did that have to do with anything?

"Never mind, you look a bit off color, take another drink of your tea."

Like a puppet Kenshin complied. It was after he had downed his second cup he noticed that the world around him seemed to spin. "Or-" but he didn't get his quirk out in time before he flopped face first on the low to the ground table.

"Shiro," Aoshi turned to the Oniwaban that was sitting outside of the room. "Take Himura back to his room, make sure you take the back way, we don't want take the risk of unwanted eyes upon us."

"Yes Lord Aoshi."

0-0-0

It was nightfall and Kaoru was pacing around the shrine again, her nerves were on end, something bad was going to happen she just knew it.

"Calm down raccoon, you are making yourself look even more pathetic than usual." Saitou's voice cut straight through any thoughts she had been thinking.

Kaoru didn't respond to the insult she just stared at him not daring to ask the obvious question.

"We are going to disguise you, you seemed to like doing that at the port in Hokkaido."

"Shove it wolf."

"No sense in idle threats, I am the only thing that can help you right now."

"Is that so?"

"Put this on." Saitou threw Kaoru a parcel, it was heavy, it obviously had more than just clothes in it.

Peeling back the brown wrapping one glance at it and she knew this is what she was dreading.

"No way in _hell_." She stated flatly shaking her head. A girl could only go so far.

"It's either that or you wait here to see how long it takes for those stupid ingrates find you."

"Couldn't you have picked out a different disguise?" Kaoru pulled out a pink gi and a flaming red wig. "Or do you have some twisted sense of humor?"

"I could have gotten one of the oniwaban itachi garbs but I thought you would be more comfortable in that."

"Does Kenshin know that I am dressing up as him?"

"Probably not, Shinamori drugged him."

"He did what!"

0-0-0

A black carriage rolled down the streets of Kyoto towards the governmental buildings. Inside sat a lonely ambassador. He sat calmly not knowing that his fate would soon come to an end.

_Dearest Sister,_

He was writing a letter to the sister that he left back home.

_I hope everything is well, I am presently on my way back to my room, today has been a long day. We are still trying to quell the threat of this rouge murderer that has escaped from a prison recently, but we are making progress, and things can only get better from this point on._

He stopped writing on the creamy white paper to think what else he could say to entertain his dear little sister.

"I have come for your life."

The words cut straight through any thought he had. Likewise the blade of his assailant cut through him. No one would know of the demise of this man until the carriage finally stopped at its final destination, its occupant never making it that far. When they opened the carriage door a letter that will never be complete floated to the ground.

_Things can only get better... _

0-0-0

Kaoru finally complied with Saitou. She felt weary about the idea of dressing up as the one who was supposed to protect her (oh the irony!). "When this is all over you will pay for this."

"Enough with the idle threats Kamiya, they are getting old." Saitou said irritated, how long does it take one person to dress?

Kaoru stepped out of the shrine, she had basically forced the wolf to wait outside the complex.

"One problem."

"Eh?"

"Put this on your cheek," The wolf handed the girl a bandage, she couldn't replicate the samurai's trademark scar so they came up with a simple yet subtle solution to that, hide that which isn't even there. "Take this, there is no sword, just the hilt and sheath, we're on a limited budget." Ah yes Kaoru had almost forgot about a sword. It was the perfect way to top off her faux rurouni look.

It was sad how well she looked the part. Kenshin was graced with very feminine features, and Kaoru had a natural tomboy air, the two things seemed to meld and make the perfect guise for the girl. Yes there were defiantly major differences in their appearance, but in the dark no one would notice. Or at least that was what the Wolf and the girl were banking on.

"Let's go," It was a command, Saitou was already starting to get a headache, a wolf could stand only so much of the girl in one day. How battousai put up with it on a daily bases he would never know, maybe he was the stronger man... nah!

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: Yay Kaoru's actually going somewhere! Sorry if this is bad, I only edited it through once. 


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue!

A/N: I am so sorry that it took this long, I would have had this up right after hitsuzen but :cough, cough: I was grounded (long story).

And my constant apology for bad grammar and missed punctuation... I am editing old chapters now and fixing things up so this one will be fixed eventually too. No more waiting, here it is the next installment to Bitter Cold!

* * *

"I can't believe that I am doing this!" Kaoru exclaimed again straightening her red wig. "Saitou you are going to pay for this once everything is all over."

"You're idle threats scare me about as much as Battousai's," Saitou grumbled as they exited the shrine.

"You know what? You can shove it up you're a-"

"Shut up, if they hear us talking you will be screwed, and there is no way I will help you out of it." The wolf growled under his breath, his threat however completely untruthful.

Saitou was still trying to figure out how Battousai was able to deal with this woman day in and day out. Maybe _this_ was the man's real penance for his damned past... either that, or he was a masochist.

His threat had effectively worked it had gotten Kaoru to shut up, but it didn't stop her from glaring daggers under her faux red bangs.

0-0-0

Misao paced the Inn nervously, how were they going to pull this off? Kaoru was supposed to be coming here dressed as someone else. Aoshi didn't tell her who, but he did say that he had to drug Kenshin because the rurouni would freak if he found out, or something like that.

Why would Kenshin freak out? What were they dressing her up as? She was so confused!

"Hey weasel, where's Kenshin?" Yahiko had just walked out into the courtyard to find a nervously pacing Misao, it wasn't until that moment that he had realized, he hadn't seen Kenshin all day.

"I think he said something about taking a nap." Misao replied absent mindedly, she didn't want to hear what the boy had to say if she told him that they had drugged his hero.

"I was just up there, Kenshin is out cold." Sanosuke said chewing on a fish bone, "Are you sure he's just asleep?"

"What else would he be?" Misao's voice seemed to jump up an octave "It's not like anyone would drug him! I mean come on, he would know about it before it happened." Misao was fidgeting as Sano stared at her skeptically for a minuet; Oh please let them buy it.'

"True." Sanosuke said dismissing the weasel's odd attitude. "Do you have any gambling money?"

"Go away!"

0-0-0

Night had completely fallen as Kaoru and Saitou made their way to the Aoiya in silence. Standing outside the Inn Kaoru hesitated on stepping inside. If she crossed the threshold then that would mean she would be bringing everyone else further into her little battle. She would be putting her life in front of theirs, she couldn't do that to them. She took a step back, ready to run away.

"I don't think so." The next thing Kaoru knew she was hurled through the door with the wolf glaring behind her. "Idiot! You could have ruined everything just then, you can't hesitate like that!"

"But-"

"Shut up, I don't want to hear you talk, the Oniwabanshu are waiting for you. I have my job to do so get going." The wolf lit up a cigarette before slamming the gate shut, leaving Kaoru sitting on the ground feeling very much alone and helpless.

"Who's there?" Yahiko walked out from a room on the bottom floor. "Kenshin? I thought you were-"

Silence. Yahiko just stared, he was in shock, the boy's face drained of all color, whatever he was expecting it wasn't this.

"Yahiko..." Kaoru began but was interrupted by a cough.

"Would you two not stand out in the dark like a bunch of crickets and come in here?" Okina was standing at the door of the dinning hall he was impressed he didn't think that they would have been able to pull it off this far.

As soon as the shoji snapped shut Kaoru was greeted by a screeching Misao and a laughing Sanosuke. She felt bad enough impersonating Kenshin as it was, and Aoshi's smirk was not helping!

"Welcome back Miss Kamiya." Aoshi said respectfully.

"Thank you, I think..." Kaoru replied looking around the room, "Excuse me but where is-"

"He's asleep." Sano said rolling his eyes. He never thought he would see the day where the rurouni would sleep through something like this. Oh but Sanosuke if you only knew.

"He's not sleeping," Misao said her face turning a soft shade of pink. Time to let the cat out of the bag.

"What?" Now Sanosuke was confused, he had walked by the room a few minuets ago and he could have sworn he heard snoring.

"We erm... well you see its just that we thought it would look a little weird if the police spies saw Two Kenshin's walking around the Aoiya so you see we umm..."

"You drugged him!" Yahiko exclaimed.

"And put him in a room that is unable to be observed by those bastards." Misao replied motioning to the walls outside the Inn.

"Miss Kamiya," Aoshi said looking directly at Kaoru. "You are going to go in there and wait for him to wake up and take his place."

"So what you are saying is that I am under house arrest?"

No one replied, maybe because it was the truth.

"I see." It was better than some places she had been, "Well someone better show me the way, I don't want to stay out in the open longer than necessary."

"I'll take you up there." Misao said standing up beckoning her friend to follow into the darker corners of the large Inn.

0-0-0

The old priest watched as Kaoru disappeared into the darkening city. 'Be safe child, I cannot protect you this time.' Sighing dejectedly he walked into the temple to meditate, little knowing that he would have a visitor waiting for him in the shadows.

Old age must have affected him, he did not sense the presence at first, but as he sat cross-legged in front of the alter his brows furrowed. "I would not expect to find _you_ here."

"She was here?" Asked the shadow perched like a cat in darkened corner of the room.

"And if she was?"

"The elders would not approve." The voice was bland holding little emotion, but one thing was for certain, the person who spoke was a girl.

"They do not approve of me either, I am nothing more than a failure to them. If you were to be seen with me now they would surely be cross." The priest named Kai faced the intruder, "Why are you here?"

"Can't a girl visit their father?" the shadow crooned.

"You have not acknowledged me as such in years Nadeshiko..."

"Do not call me by that weak name!" She barked, "I gave it up years ago."

"That's right _Raven_. How could I forget a flower is not the name of a murderer," The old priest spat acidly. "A plant is too weak, it is after all 'an organism that is dependent on the elements,' that is what you told wasn't it?"

"Do not act so hateful to your only child." Raven was starting to regret her evening visit.

"I have no child."

"Father..."

"She died years ago the moment you picked up a sword and slue her with your first victim."

"You have no room to talk, you are no better than I am!"

"No I'm not." He would not deny it.

Raven smirked from her perch. "What is she like? What is the one who is taking the blame for me like?"

"She doesn't deserve the hell she was given because of you."

"My elders would have to disagree with you on that, they don't seem to like her very much, nor her philosophy, and apparently her friends aren't something to be desired."

"Battousai could be very handy when dealing with _you_."

"Were those spiteful words meant to hurt me?"

The priest just smirked at the girls mocking tone. "If you hurt her anymore than you already have I will kill you myself."

"You would kill your own daughter to avenge the pain of a nobody?"

"Nobody to you... but you can never understand this type of thing Raven, you do not have enough of a heart to even begin comprehending it."

"They want me to kill Yamagata." This news was new, it seemed quite a leap from the 'jobs' she had done before.

"And will you?"

"It is an order."

"And after that?"

"My job will be done." Raven stood from her perch, "And you know what must happen after that."

"I cannot convince you out of this then?"

"I will not disobey them."

"And of the girl? You are going to let her take the blame for this? She has suffered your sentence already, are you going to damn her for the rest of her life."

"She was damned the moment she was born."

"Nadeshiko..." He used her real name, "You are in pain aren't you? They have corrupted your mind and now you are wondering if this is right, is this the answer?"

"Shut up old man! What do you know!"

"They sent you here to kill me tonight didn't they?" Kai concluded looking at the girl standing in the corner, "The run down old priest finally got in the way of their plans did he?"

"You're wrong."

"Am I?"

The priest never got his answer, Nadeshiko, or Raven as she is called now disappeared into the night. Where she went no one can really say, but one thing is for certain in whatever bowls of the night she sat in she had some things to think about.

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: I know it's so not like me to only set in what is there only like three parts to this chapter? But at least they should give you some new questions to ponder over. So any more guesses on who the priest is now? 

I completely stole Nadeshiko's name from CCS but sad to say she's nothing like Sakura's mom, nope not even close.


	18. chapter 18

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!

A/N: OMGs... I almost lost all of my stories! This would have been up a lot sooner if my computer didn't have that near meltdown :grumbles:. But all is well... and here is the next installment in the story.

* * *

Kenshin felt the lazy pull of consciousness bring him back to the surface. And he was so enjoying the dreamless darkness that he so rarely got. His head was spinning, what happened to him? Trying his best to recall everything, but all he could remember speaking with Aoshi and drinking his tea... As a matter of fact, Aoshi was very adamant that he did drink all of his tea. He didn't... No, Aoshi wouldn't be that underhanded, but it would tie everything together. 

All of this thinking so soon after coming out of a deep sleep was giving the rurouni a headache the only thing calming it was the light strokes of the small hands dabbing the cold cloth on his head.

'Mmm... that feels nice.'

Wait, some one is touching him, he should be worried that he isn't reacting to this or something right? But the calming strokes bade him not to, he just relished in it, letting him descend back in to the darkness that was so welcoming.

"_Kenshin_"

Such a sweet melodic tone, it cut straight through the darkness and pulled him closer to reality.

"_Kenshin_"

That voice it's so soft, and so familiar... but whose is it?

"Kenshin..."

'I hear you but I'm just too tired to open my eyes.' He thought as he fought not to drown in the feather like touch that was almost begging him to open his eyes.

"Come on Kenshin wake up." The voice was sounding a little impatient now, and sounding vaguely familiar. The name _Kaoru_ suddenly popped into his mind.

A smile threatened to break out at the thought of the girl being by his side, but that brought the unsettling question of exactly how she came to be beside him now. It was so thought provoking that he snapped his eyes open fully prepared to ask her when all cognitive thought flew out the window as he saw... No it was too weird, it wasn't possible, this had to be a dream. Looming above him was not the beautiful raven haired woman he had anticipated. His eyes blinked again trying to shake the image, but it did not fade away.

Kenshin was staring at _himself_.

"ORO!" The shock was so much that he shot out of the futon and across the room taking the blanket he was under with him.

"Kenshin you idiot!" Definitely Kaoru's voice, but why was it attached to his hair and his pink... erm magenta gi!

"Miss Kaoru?" He asked uncertainly trying to overcome his initial shock.

"Who else would it be?" She replied irritated.

"Well... This unworthy one does not mean to be rude but has Miss Kaoru looked in a mirror lately?"

"Eh?" Kaoru looked around to the mirror in the other corner of the room, "Oh I forgot I was still wearing this stupid thing." in one quick movement Kaoru had flung the wig off and ripped the little white bandage covering her face. "Blame a conniving idiot with a sick sense of humor." Kaoru tugged at the fringed sleeve of the gi, "Actually I think this is actually _your_ gi... Aoshi slipped something in your tea and stole your clothes for me to use."

Kenshin looked down at himself, well... he was wearing a yukata. "And the sword?" He pointed towards the scabbard at her side. He wondered if it was his too, he had not seen the sakabatou anywhere in the room.

Kaoru snorted and pulled out the bladeless hilt. "It's a 'budget sword.'"

"Budget is defiantly one way to put it that it is."

"Kenshin are you alright?" The rurouni was looking a little pale and his eyes were a murky grey

"I am now." He muttered more to himself than to the girl sitting in front of him.

"Huh?"

"Nothing Miss Kaoru, How long have you been here?"

"It's nearly sunrise now," Kaoru had been awake this whole time watching over the man in the futon before her. She was worried that the tea might have had some adverse effect on Kenshin.

"You have been awake this whole time?" He noticed the circles under her eyes making her look true to her nickname 'raccoon' but he would never say that aloud, he was much to afraid of the kendo instructors anger.

Kaoru smiled sadly at him, "I couldn't sleep."

"That is not healthy that it is not."

"You are one to talk Himura Kenshin! Aoshi said that the tea should have worn off hours ago, but you had probably been overworking yourself and your body was recovering from _that_ rather than the tea."

Can you say hand caught in the cookie jar? "Miss Kaoru are you hungry? This unworthy one could bring you something to eat."

"You are not getting out of this that easily Himura Kenshin!"

"Oro!" Kenshin ducked out of the room before she could really lay into him.

0-0-0

"Good morning Himura!"

"Good morning Miss Misao." Kenshin smiled, but the suspiciously happy look on the weasel girl's face made him faulter. "Is everything alright Miss Misao?"

"Yes yes of course Himura, we... I mean _I_ was wondering if every thing was okay with you and Kaoru?"

Kenshin raised a skeptical eyebrow as he grabbed a bowl of warm miso and some onigiri, "Everything is just fine, but this unworthy one must ask why Miss Misao is so suddenly curious?"

Misao's cheeks suddenly became a light pink color, "No reason! Jeeze Himura can't a girl ask a question without getting the third degree?"

Kenshin suppressed a snort, "Forgive me Miss Misao, yes everything is fine. Now if you excuse this one Miss Kaoru is hungry and she has been waiting long enough."

"Okay Himura, just remember she has to stay in that corridor no matter what."

But she received no response the rurouni had already left, food in hand. Sighing Misao flopped down on the ground in front of the small dining table.

"You know Kenshin is too smart to understand your underlying questions."

"And what would a rooster like you know about what I was asking him?" She asked a little irked that he would comment at all.

"Because I have known those two longer than anyone and they will be the last two to say anything to each other about anything resembling a relationship between them."

"I knew that, I was just wondering if..."

"Don't worry about Jou-chan, Kenshin will take care of everything."

"I know but..."

0-0-0

"Miss Kaoru This unworthy one has brought you some Miso soup... Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin slid the shoji open with his foot and looked in the room. In the middle of the room laying across the futon was Kaoru snoring away. 'Exhausted... You shouldn't have stayed up all night because of this unworthy one.'

Sighing to himself, Kenshin put the tray of food on the ground and moved the sleeping girl into a more comfortable position under the covers. A grin broke out onto his face as he saw the image of Kaoru wearing _his_ gi. Magenta did look better on her, he had to admit. Grabbing his spare gi (this time his navy one), he left to the bath house, today he would start looking for the person responsible for everything. This time he would get to the bottom of things.

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: Sorry to cut it so short but I had to, the next section is very important and would flow better if it were a separate chapter. I figure that there are only three or four left in this story. I am going to be writing all of them out before I post again (it shouldn't take that long I have it all outlined). 

**PLEASE REVIEW!** It makes the Authoress happy : )


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own RK... please stop rubbing it in ;.;

A/N: **I LIVE! **Omgs... college is soooo time consuming, and I only have like two classes a day! (three starting next week x.x) But here is the next installment of the story! Woot we're getting closer to the end I can feel it!

A tad bit of the OOCness on the Kaoru and Aoshi conversation in this chapter, but fun to write. XD Yet again my editing skills suck, and I am going through every chapter in this story and editing them together so it will be fixed eventually. X.x Forgive me if there mistakes... they will be fixed eventually.

* * *

It was late afternoon before he had any good leads, there had been no murders the last few nights (or at least none that had been released to the public), but there had been a sighting of a mysterious figure entering a shrine just on the outskirts of the city. It was enough to lead Kenshin to the place to check it out.

"Welcome young sir to this shrine," Smiled the old priest as he greeted the red head.

Kenshin bowed to the old priest, "Thank you, I was hoping for some information on a mysterious person that may have entered this shrine the other night."

The priests eyes narrowed as his smile faded from his face as he turned away from Kenshin, "I was wondering when you would inquire Battousai."

"You knew I was coming?"

"Follow me, we have much to talk about and our conversation is not for innocent ears to hear." The old man nodded towards the small number of people gathered at the shrine. "My name is Kai, I have been the head priest here at this shrine for nearly eight years now, ever since my wife died of cholera."

"Sir?" Kenshin wasn't quite sure where this was leading.

"I came to live here; though my daughter was not permitted to come along. No, you see my family has very strict rules about heirs and things like that, because I nor my brother wished to..." The old man shook his head and smiled at Kenshin. "You see my family was a very traditional family, they believed in the old way of things. They were also high up in the inner circles of the Shogunate. But when everything toppled down they were left with very little, and sought out to reclaim themselves. I had no wish to be like them, I did not want those monetary things."

Kenshin was silent waiting for this seemingly senile old man to continue.

"My brother escaped our family's disorder to start his own life. He wandered for some time before settling in what is now Tokyo, he enlisted in the war against the Shogunate. That was when he was truly exiled from our lives." The old priest smiled, "My brother had the ideal life, a wife that he loved, who in turn loved him, and was not actually forced to marry, and a child full of such light one would think she was an image of Amaterasu(1) herself."

"I know someone like that." It finally clicked, this story sounded vaugly familiar, but now he was sure, those weary blue eyes did not lie to him.

"I suppose you do."

"What happened to your daughter?"

"Can you not connect the dots boy? Do I really need to tell you who my daughter is? You already know that my brother's child, my niece, is being framed by her."

"Was your daughter here last night?"

"My daughter wasn't, but the monster who she became was."

"Sir I need to know what she is planning, why she's planning it-"

"The what and the why is very simple. Why? Because she was ordered to by her grandfather; and the what is a certain military leader and politician that anyone like my family would like to see dead."

"...Yamagata"

"But what I cannot answer is how or when she is going to do this, nor can I tell you why she is bent on destroying her cousin's life. I will tell you however, that the police officers following Kamiya Kaoru are not as the appear to be," The priest smiled. "But we both already knew that didn't we?"

"How is it you know so much yet you do not set foot outside this shrine?"

"The eyes and ears that set upon my face are not the only ones I have Mr. Himura." Kai's eyes settled behind Kenshin and to the sky.

"The light is waning, and I think that you will have made my niece worry enough."

"I have one more question for you, how did you come to be here yet you left your daughter with the family that you despise."

"That story is irrelevant now, someday I will tell it, but for now it can wait until I can see my niece as a free person again."

"Goodbye Sir." Kenshin bowed as he was about to leave the sacred grounds of the shrine.

"My real name is Toshiya."

0-0-0

She was going insane. She had been in the confines of the small corridor in the Aoiya for only a day now. Maybe it was because it was in the very center of the complex building and had no windows in it _what so ever_. Kaoru was about ready to pound her head against the wall when the one and only Shinamori Aoshi walked in.

"Kamiya."

"Shinamori"

"..."

"..."

"Been busy?"

"I didn't kill anyone, if that's what you mean."

"I didn't say that."

"..."

"..."

"Where is Kenshin?"

"Out."

"..."

"..."

"Why are you here?"

"Why is the wolf so interested in you and your every movement?"

"..."

"..."

"Are you always so blunt?"

"Do you always avoid questions?"

"Do you always ask questions, and then answer with one?"

"..."

"..."

"You are a complex woman."

"You are a frustrating man."

"..."

"..."

And with that Aoshi just walked past Kaoru without another word.

0-0-0

Misao was waiting in the dining room for Aoshi to come back down the stairs.

When the Stoic man came down she looked at him expectantly, but all the man did was nod before setting himself down in front of his cup of tea and indulging himself.

Misao walked up the stairs casually and walked down one hall and around the complex before doubling back and entering a closet that had a secret door that lead to a corridor that was very plain and very empty. That was except for the woman setting at the end of the hall glaring at her.

"Nice to see you Misao, can you tell me why exactly doesn't this hall have a single window?"

"This is our 'safety corridor' if the complex is attacked or being watched, which by the way it is. We can have meetings in here or hide things here that are not easily accessible except by the people who know it's here."

"I see, but a window was still an unreasonable thing to do?"

"Yes."

"I am gonna die without seeing something natural!"

"I am sorry Kaoru... you're just going to have to wait until this is over."

"Wait!" She practically screamed, "I am just supposed to wait? How can you expect me to do that? I can't just sit here idly while others play around with my life as if it were some kind of dirt clod."

"Kaoru..."

"No! I don't want to hear it, please Misao just leave me alone."

"Kaoru-"

"Go!" Kaoru snapped grabbing fistfuls of her own hair wishing she could just rip it all out as if that would relieve all of her frustration. "I'm sorry, but please, just go away." Kaoru turned her back on the itachi and walked into the room she had been sleeping in.

Without another word Misao left her friend alone, her state of mind was unsettling to her.

0-0-0

Kaoru sat in her box of a room staring at the mirror pretending it was a window to the outside world. This was the first time she had actually looked at herself in many months and was almost shocked by her change in appearance. Her once sleek black hair lay listlessly down her back. Though her eyes still sparkled as they always have she couldn't help but notice that they had dimmed. Her face had lost its childish roundness, maybe it was from the lack of proper nutrition coupled with stress, but now as she looked closely at herself she shivered.

"Oh my kami is that a wrinkle!"

"A wrinkle is the least of your worries Raccoon."

"How did _you_ get in here?"

"I am no an idiot, you know. I have my ways"

"What do you want Saitou? Wasn't parading me around half of Kyoto in Kenshin's clothes enough for your sick sense of humor?" Kaoru swiveled around and glared at the man.

"The laugh I got afterwards was a mere bonus," Saitou placed a cigarette in his mouth and was about to light up.

"Don't do that!" Kaoru yelled, "There are no windows in this entire corridor I don't want it smelling like you."

"You won't be staying here much longer." But he put the cigarette in his pocket anyway.

"Eh?"

"I told you on the damn mountain that you needed to stay there but you didn't listen to me." Kaoru opened her mouth to protest but the insufferable man continued. "Now you are in here like the caged raccoon you are. I need you to break out of here in two days."

"Are you kidding me?"

"You escaped a prison in Hokkaido."

"That was different, I had a cliff to jump off of, there is no way I can get out of a compound surrounded by Ninja's, housing one of the most feared samurai in Japan, that is also conveniently surrounded by the police."

"And what do you think **_I_** will do if you don't listen to me?" He glared at her threateningly. It was a look that would have any normal person quaking in their socks.

"Don't glare at me like that your face will get stuck, and what would your children think of that?"

"Do not mock me. If I can get in here undetected then just think what I will do to you if you don't listen to me."

"The last time I checked you weren't my boss."

"No? But I am your ticket to freedom."

"And what am I? Your ticket to a raise?"

"Not everything is about money."

"No? So you just want to be revered do you? But I thought you were a spy; wouldn't that be going against the whole "secretive" thing?"

"I think we went over the whole mocking thing," This form of conversation was getting him nowhere, so it was time for a different angle. "If you listen to me and do as I say then this will all be over sooner and you can go back to your little dojo; and I will never have to speak to you again."

"Is that a promise?"

"It might be."

"Fine, but don't blame me if I fail."

"Just get out of here and make it to the Sento Palace..."

"Are you crazy! Do you know how far away that is? Scratch that do you know how dangerous that is!"

"I could make it there."

"Well aren't you just peachy?"

Saitou just glared, there would be no room for argument, if his plan was going to work then she would have to do this.

"Fine!" Kaoru finally agreed "Do you have a map?"

The wolf held up a slip of paper that the girl hid in her sleeve. "Be there or we will be having a much harsher conversation than this one."

"Yeah, sure."

0-0-0

By the time he had made it to the Aoiya darkness had already blanketed the city. It had been a long day, but he had found out some very useful information, and after pulling a few strings found that Aritomo Yamagata was at the moment residing in the Sento Palace. The only thing Kenshin had yet to figure out was when this cousin of Kaoru's would strike. And he was afraid he wouldn't find out until it was too late.

"Hey Himura!"

"Good evening Miss Misao." Kenshin responded with an amiable smile. "How did everything go today?"

"As expected, but Kaoru is acting a bit strange."

"How so?"

"She's upset, I don't know what to do, maybe you can do something."

Kenshin just nodded at this, what could he do though? This was most likely the first time she had been able to sit and think about everything that happened. If this was true then her mood would be considerably darker than normal.

Kenshin entered the kitchen greeting Omasu who was standing over the sink peeling some potatoes. Entering the large pantry as if to look for something, but instead of going to one of the many shelves in the dark room he headed to a back corner that was blocked by a large barrel of pickled vegetables. Moving the vegetables out of the way he went through a door that any normal person would have missed if they were not looking directly for it.

Kenshin entered a dark corridor, there happened to be four ways a person could enter this certain part of the Aoiya, one being the way the rurouni had just entered. Another was through a closet that was inside of Aoshi's bed room, another was a floor hatch in the room Kenshin had been staying in. The last was a tunnel beneath the large statue of Shakyamuni Buddha(2) in the temple next door to the Inn.

Kenshin sighed, though this room was a minuscule example, the lengths the Oniwabanshuu would go for secrecy was something to be duly noted.

"Miss Kaoru?"

"Kenshin!" Her voice was bright and happy.

'I thought Miss Misao said that Miss Kaoru was upset about something.' Kenshin shrugged it off. "Are you well rested Miss Kaoru?"

"Ahh... Yes, but I feel bad I snapped at Misao earlier could you apologize to her for me when you see her."

"This one will be sure to do that."

"Ne, Kenshin?" Kaoru looked around the candle lit room she was sitting in. "What did you do today?"

"I was looking for information about your imposter."

"Aa, did you find out anything?"

"No, nothing of importance yet." He avoided her eyes when he said this.

"Are you lying to me?"

"Oro!"

"Kenshin look me in the eye and tell me the truth. Did you find anything?" She knew he wouldn't look her straight in the eye and lie to her, not this time.

He still refused to look in her eye, instead he rested his violet orbs on her slender chin and was about to answer when her finger came to his lips to silence him.

"Do I have to treat you like a child?" She chided softly as her fingers slipped under his chin forcing him to look her in the eye this time. "Now I do not want to repeat myself again, so please just tell me the truth."

"Yes."

Kaoru raised her eyebrow waiting for him to continue.

"Whoever this is, their next target is Lord Yamagata."

"Kenshin?" She just stared at him for a moment before shaking her head, "Never mind it isn't important." But that was a lie, Himura Kenshin was hiding something from her again, but what she did not know. Smiling secretly to herself she changed the subject to the nice priest she had met during her hide in a little shrine. 'Kenshin, you can keep your secrets for now, for I will do the same.'

"Ne Kenshin, Do you think that when this is all over we can go back to the shrine? I really want to thank the priest, he really did a lot for me."

To Be Continued...

* * *

(1) Amaterasu Omi Kami – Amaterasu was the Kami of the sun, she was really beautiful and the symbol of the emperial family (go figure 'land of the rising sun' who would have guessed) there is a long (kinda) story behind it, if any one wants to know more about it just say something in a review. (no this is not the authoresses ploy for more reviews... but it would be nice XD)

(2) Shakyamuni Buddha is the name the 'original' Buddha had after abandoning his material life. A statue of him would look like this: http/www(dot)filmtracks(dot)com/stella/buddha(dot)jpg

**A/N**: Nine pages! It's the longest one in a while... Okay it's also the first update in a while too :Bows deeply: Please forgive me! I am so unworthy! But there are two chapters left! and hey I might pull Demon out of Hiatus soon... but don't hold me to that, it just depends on how much time I have.

I don't ever say this enough: **THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!**

I will give you all cyber cookies, I know how you like them D


	20. chapter 20

A/N: long story short: My computer died... it is currently being revived and I have no clue when I will see it again. I am posting this story from my grandparents house on their Windows 98 dial-up computer x.x I am shocked I didn't kill this one too.

Writers block didn't help either, I believe it was James Joyce who best put it, "Today was a good day, I wrote a sentence."

Unedited... but updated nonetheless!

* * *

Aoshi leaned against the wall, waiting, he knew that he would come this way. It wasn't to long before he had been proven correct as the clicking sound of boots echoed off the cement walls and street.

"Saitou." He greeted with an uncaring tone.

"Shinamori." The wolf returned in a similar manner.

"Your involvement in Kamiya's dilemma intrigues me."

"Does it now? And why would that be?" Saitou took a drag of his cigarette.

"You are taking sides against most of your co-workers, and seem especially close to the subject in this matter." Aoshi kept up his usual monotonous attitude.

"The raccoon is a mere tool to lead me to the center of this whole thing. There is a snake that needs rooted out and I intend to do it."

"And what of the other officers? Do you not have a say over their actions?"

"No, there is more here than you are seeing Shinamori, I thought you would be smarter than that."

"It is hard to get information on a subject so meticulously guarded."

"It would be wouldn't it?" Saitou looked the other man straight in the eye, "I would be careful of the things you delve into, there is a time and a place for your digging and this is not one of them."

"So if something were to leak out..."

"People would start to question the stability of their government, this is a new era, and not a very stable one at the moment. If the public found out that their leaders were being targeted from the inside, there maybe a revolt."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"You keep your mouth shut and stop snooping around in my area and I won't disclose a blueprint of your little Inn to those idiots that have followed you here." Saitou motioned to the not so very well hidden men watching their conversation from afar.

"How do I know you're not bluffing?"

Saitou held up a large scroll that did indeed have an exact layout of the Aoiya on it, a particular spot that concerned him was a corridor that was on the lowest level of the Inn and it happened to have a big red circle around it. "Battousai has his job to do, and I have mine, I don't care if he did ask you for help, stop your useless search, it will yield nothing, I will make sure of that."

"..."

Without another word the officer known as Fujita Gorou disappeared in one direction, while Shinamori Aoshi disappeared completely from his stalkers watchful eyes.

0-0-0

"_Sasa no ha saara sara_

_Nokiba ni yureru_"

She sharpened her katana. Singing the Tanbata day song her mother had taught her when she was young.

"_Ohoshi-sama kira kira  
Kin-gin sunago_"

She tested the sharpness of her sword; her last assignment. There would be one more death at her hands. She could finally go on in peace after this. She could leave her family behind her, just like her father had done.

Kamiya Kaoru... She would take the fall for her, Nadeshiko, No... Raven could care less. After her last kill nothing, none of it would matter anymore. The one thing she yearned for, freedom, she would finally have it. Two more days, and she would have freedom. Two more days and this will all end.

0-0-0

She was nervous, terrified that what Saitou had planned, whatever it was, would fail. She kept pacing, thinking how she could get out. 'Damn the wolf to hell!' She was cracking under the pressure. She could only find two exits out of the damned corridor the one Misao had used and where Kenshin had come from on that same day. There had to be another one, it was the only explanation she could come up with as to how Saitou himself got in there. Looking out of the room she was in she pondered as to which direction he came.

'Above?'

"I think that's Sano's room" She scoffed at the thought of the wolf going that way.

'West wall?'

"That is where Misao came from."

There had to be another way, one that didn't deal with going through the Inn. There just had to be another way. She slumped against the wall and banged her head against it to shake her brain into some kind of plan.

"You shouldn't bang your head against the wall like that, that you shouldn't"

"Ah but it seems to make things so much clearer you see."

"Oro, always with the sarcasm."

"Kenshin, what's going to happen? How long am I going to be down here? I can't stay like this and you know it, I might do something drastic."

"Don't worry about it, it's being taken care of."

"Don't worry about it? Kenshin this is my life and kami knows how many other peoples and you're telling me not to worry about it?" Kaoru said standing up from her previous position.

"Everything will be fine, I promise you, there is nothing to-"

"Don't say that, you're always down-playing things; why don't you just tell me the truth? Why can't you just tell me what's really going on?" Kenshin looked away from her but did not reply. "I have half a mind to just leave; I can't stand doing nothing for much longer."

"No" instinct had him grabbing her wrist. "You can't leave this corridor, promise me that you will not leave it."

Kaoru stared at him silently, "I can't just sit by and do nothing, I wasn't raised that way."

"Promise me." Kenshin pleaded looking straight into her eyes.

"Kenshin, tell me why, I can't survive here for much longer, I can't be caged and you know it!"

"You can't leave this place, you're safe here."

"No I'm not! I'm not safe here, I'm just hidden, it's only a matter of time before they figure it out! People don't just disappear into walls or closets Kenshin, they're not that stupid." Kaoru looked down at the hand that still gripped her wrist. "Why are you so afraid?" she whispered, she didn't even mean to say it aloud.

"I can't ..." A hand rose to caress her cheek, he hadn't been this bold before, "I won't lose you again."

"You never lost me to begin with Kenshin," She couldn't help herself, the charged energy around them drew her to him as she hugged him close, "I'm right here, standing right in front of you, _you never lost me_."

"But I almost did," He returned her embrace with a tighter one "I will go through hell and back if it means to keep you alive. You keep me alive."

"Kenshin..."

"I love you, I'm sorry it took me so long, and you had to go through so much without knowing. Just know that I love you with everything that I am, and I'm sorry."

Tears fell from her face, this was the one thing she wanted him to say ever since she met him. "You idiot," she cried while she shook him, "Why are you apologizing when you just said that you loved me?"

"I'm sorry."

"I love you too you baka."

"Kenshin." Aoshi was standing behind them and heard their confessions, but not a single expression of the relief he felt showed on his stony face. 'It's about time.' Was all he could think.

"What is it Aoshi?" Kenshin was not happy with the interruption.

"We need to talk, it's urgent."

"I'll be right there." Kenshin said dismissing the ice man as he turned to leave. "Kaoru," he said deliberately brought her attention back to him. "Promise me that you won't leave."

"To the best of my abilities I will try to resist the urge to protect my own life, that is the best I can promise you."

"Close enough," With a chaste kiss that promised so much more at a future time the red headed man left Kaoru standing alone in the hall.

As she turned around something caught her eye, the ikebana was out of place in the tokonoma. She looked closer she noticed not all was as it seemed, as she moved the flower arrangement out of the way she noticed a trap door on the bottom of the tokonoma. It was her escape.

_Promise me that won't leave._

Kenshin's voice rang through her head, soon followed by Saitou's.

_If I can get in here undetected then just think what I will do to you if you don't listen to me._

Unhappy Saitou was much harder to deal with than unhappy Kenshin; it was in that moment that Kaoru made up her mind. The raccoon girl looked around to see if anyone was there before she slipped through the trap door and disappeared into the night.

0-0-0

"What is it Aoshi?" Kenshin was now sitting across the stoic man sipping a warm cup of tea.

"They're gone."

"What?"

"The spies left a few hours ago, I think they have something planned."

"What are we going to do about it?"

"We are going to do nothing, you have a meeting at the Sento Palace with a Minister if I'm not mistaken." Aoshi looked over his cup, "Leave the security of this Inn to the people who live here, you have only one concern at the moment."

"Right, and my time is running short."

To be continued...

* * *

A/N: HE FINALLY SAID IT!

That's right people our rurouni finally said our three favorite words 'I love you'

And now it's time for the authors crappy apology once again.

Wow... been a while ne? I have been so busy lately... and my computer crapping out on me didn't help either. I should be getting it back tomorrow though.

Okay so here's the translation for that song that creepy little Raven was singing:

Bamboo-grass leaves flowing in the wind

Swinging by the edge of the eaves

Stars are shining

Like fine gold and silver sand

Tokonoma: an alcove found in teahouses and traditional Japanese houses (or in this case Inn's)

Ikebana: flower arrangement.

We're coming to the end, can you feel the climax of the story building... please be kind, leave me a review even if it's a nasty flame for how lousy of an updater I have been lately.


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